Draconia: A Hero's Tale
by Ryth Slove
Summary: A land of magic is plagued by evil and shadows...  Only a group of Heroes has what it takes to save their land from destruction.
1. Prologue

It was eighteen years ago… A war that ravaged our land for so many years. It was a war to maintain balance, a fight for power between light and dark; a deadly struggle for dominance in the eyes of the weaker half. Now that I think of it, it was probably started much longer than eighteen years ago… I am pretty sure this battle between opposing elements has lasted longer than that. This I know, for it has been recorded for years since the beginning of time.

This war has taken a toll on both sides of the opposition where light and dark have both lost forces and leaders alike. With each passing generation, the battle becomes tougher, more dangerous… Both sides have had many leaders, and the most recent are as follows: the Kingdom of Draconia, headed by the Scanzanea family, used to be a peaceful place. Food and maritime was plentiful for the subjects of the King and Queen, and there was happiness to go around for all… That is, until the darkness came…

We knew darkness existed in our world, but we had no idea it was so close to home… The force of darkness came disguised as one of us, loyal to our King and Queen. Loyal, until he started to experiment with dark magicks, an act considered treacherous to our people. The man who went by the name of "Necril" was sentenced to be outcast from the CentraCity by the King's order. He was convicted of "inspiring against our royals by casting magicks disallowed to be tampered with." He had been known to cast these dark magicks near the graveyards to raise forth the deceased to do his bidding. He also used the magicks to prolong his own death… Such is the way of Necromancy, forbidden to us because they go against our Natural Laws. The dead should be allowed to sleep, the living should be allowed to die when their time comes…

Necril became upset with our King and Queen and all others who resided in our kingdom. He cursed us all and proclaimed revenge someday. He left our kingdom for an area just outside of our kingdom's borders, named the Midnight Plains due to the beautiful full moon that is normally seen out during the midnight hour. The Midnight Plains, however, have been covered by a mysterious wall of dark clouds for awhile now; we are unsure if this was created by Natural causes, or if Necril did it himself. We do know that he built himself an impenetrable fortress (by which the location is unknown) from where he has fought back against our kingdom.

Five years before I was born, the world met a new power. It came as the darkest creature ever to walk our world. It was so powerful that the entire world feared its power. This creature was a fox spirit created of pure dark magicks and taught the arts of combat and magic. Still to this day, we cannot comprehend what this creature is truly capable of…

The fox spirit was given the name of "Rona" and was created to head Necril's army of living shadows, the Darklings. From Rona's leadership, the Darkling army destroyed many of our towns and cities. About a year after his creation, however, something changed him… We have no idea what led Rona away from death and destruction, though whatever it was saved us. Some of us believe that it was the work of Rysta, the goddess who rules over our land… Many of us prayed when it seemed like our final hour… We watched as Rona and his Darklings marched upon our CentraCity… We beheld the terror of the Draconian Protection Force being slaughtered as they tried to level Rona's army. As the DPF numbers dwindled down to almost none, Rona stopped his massacre and turned on his own army! He destroyed every last Darkling… Then, he ran off, and we have not seen him since…

All of this happened about twenty years ago. I was born four years later in a time of peace. My mother had conceived me in the time of calm that followed those events. Draconia has recovered much since then. At times, we are harassed by small groups of Darklings on occasion. We have tried to find Necril's Keep, though no one who has ever gone out to find it has ever returned. Rona still hides himself as well. I believe he is still out there somewhere, hiding away from our kingdom and Necril. He _did_ fight for both sides, after all.

Despite the past, I have managed to get by in today's world… I live as the daughter of the headmaid in the CentraCity Castle. I am a good friend of the prince of this land, Cryos Scanzanea, the son of a great King and Queen. In my free time, I study the history of this land so that I may better understand why things happen the way that they do. I do not just study recent history though, but history all throughout Draconia's time. It is these history lessons that have helped us to survive the upcoming events… Little did I know that I was to be a part of something so large… Our story is one of adventure, love, and a wild goose chase at that even… I look back on our travels and still laugh that things even went the way they did…


	2. Introduction

My name is Cryos Scanzanea. I have served as the prince of this land, Draconia, for eighteen years now. Eighteen long years as of today, for today is my eighteenth birthday! Life is great… Perfect even. Life is one of those things that is so special that it deserves to be protected, no matter the circumstances. Life is a chance to see the world, a creation created in part by the hands of Rysta and the will of Sen, our god of chaos. Our world is full of beauty, of many things waiting to be experienced so that we may share our findings with the rest of the people… Even the many contradicting things in Nature are amazing. I have seen the beauty of this world with my own eyes, although not half as often as I would have liked… I _am_ a busy person, after all.

Sometimes, I head up to the castle turret just to look around and take in the world around me. Viewing the world in this way reminds me that I am only human and that I could never hope to bend Nature to my liking. Up in the turrets, some of the sights I see are amazing… I especially like to look out towards the border between our kingdom and the Dark Lands (which has become the new nickname for the Midnight Plains, what with the cloud cover and all)… It is very easy to see the border too, _because_ of the cloud cover before the Dark Lands. The only way to see what is on the other side is to actually pass through the clouds. There is something about those clouds that is full of mystery, though… It just mesmerizes me.

Normally, the first thing I look at is the CentraCity surrounding the castle. Draconia's capitol was built on a cliff and is surrounded on three sides by canyon walls. The castle is located at the back of the city near the back wall of the cliff top, a great location to prevent infiltration of the castle. Not much is known of the lands beyond the back wall, however, since the northern border of Draconia is a large, impassable mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see.

Out over the cliff, I can see the base of our mountain with the path leading all the way up to the large iron gates that protect our CentraCity. Beyond our mountain's foothills lies an expanse of green grasses billowing on the wind. There lies a small town near the center of the Draconian Plains, somewhat small due to the fact that it was entirely demolished by in an attack by Rona. It has been mostly rebuilt, and has earned the nickname "The Traveler's Waypoint." To the west, our one ocean is clearly visible. We call this ocean and the beach that fronts it the Maringan Shores. It is just another mass of Nature in which we are unable to see the end of (and of which we have yet to pass). Over to the east is a volcanic wasteland (named the Magmanian Wastes) that forms a near ninety-degree angle with our northern border. The only noticeable landmark in the wasteland is a rather large volcano, which we have named the Kesu Rim after a great fire demon rumored to live inside.

In the south, beyond the field of grass, is a forest forming the boundary between all of the great forces of Nature. We call this wood the FoxWoods because it is the preferred home of many fox spirits. It is a sort of central wood to create a neutral zone of balance among all elements of Nature. One the far side of the FoxWoods is the southern boundary of cloud cover between our kingdom and the Dark Lands. _This _is Draconia, and we have yet to discover any territory outside of our kingdom.

Now, for a bit of my life… As the prince of Draconia, I feel it is my duty to ensure the safety of my people whenever possible. Lately, it has been fairly challenging… With a steadily declining number of Draconian Protection Force infantry and mechs (prototype armored suits used for tough situations), we have an increasing chance of a downfall in our kingdom. Necril likes to send small groups of his Darklings, about ten or twenty at a time, to cause mischief and slowly whittle away our defenses. They come all the way from the Dark Lands, so we know for a fact that Necril's Keep is located somewhere there… However, should he ever send a large group of Darklings to infiltrate our city, perhaps one hundred or two hundred Darklings… There would be few survivors, if any, since our only escape is through the front gates.

When I am not busy dealing with the matters of our kingdom, I am looking into the science of our world. I took the liberty of establishing my own private laboratory, conveniently located in an empty section of wall in my private quarters. No one knows of this scientific sanctuary, other than me of course. It would do no good to have secret projects going on in there if everyone knew of them, now would it? I prefer to keep my work private.

My first project in my laboratory was a sword; I made it from human materials, magic, and some technologies I made myself. This sword, a deadly mix of speed and power, challenges any sword I have seen brandished by the DPF. If an attack on the castle occurred, I would be sure to have this sword by my side… I just wish I had invented teleportation like what the fox spirits have, so that if something _should_ happen, we could move the citizens out of the CentraCity in a fast, efficient way.

There is a, uh, girl, in my life who I believe makes a very great friend. Her mother is the best caretaker in our castle and the very woman that took care of me whenever Mother and Father were away. As such, I practically grew up with this girl. She is very pretty… Her hair is a pleasing shade of brown, somewhere between walnut-shell and almond brown. Her eyes are hazel and seem to glimmer with such a shine that even the wisest man in the world could never begin to fathom such a remarkable light… Her body structure is delightfully skinny, but yet, she is strong… She is just a bit shorter than me. Her name is Keia Luminachi, which seems to reflect that look in her eye: luminous.

But, enough about Keia. I am sure that hearing me ramble on and on about her is the last thing anyone would want to hear. To change the subject, I have a feeling that today is going to be a great day! My parents are going to take me down through the castle gates and to the city square… There will be a parade for my eighteenth birthday… There will be cake, presents from the city folk, merrymaking… And as with tradition, my father will have me knighted. In Draconia, a prince is knighted on his eighteenth birthday in front of all the CentraCity; the prince takes an oath to always be around to protect his country whenever the need arises. There _is_ a thought that bothers me, however… Once I have been knighted, I have to protect Draconia… Would that mean that I have to end Necril's reign of terror? One can never help but wonder… I suppose I have no choice but to wait and see what Destiny has in store for me…


	3. The Beginning

'Ahh… Today's a great day… No one's bothered me yet!' I was thinking to myself when there was a knock on my bedroom door. I rolled over onto my left side and pushed aside the curtains surrounding my bed. I was already dressed for the day, and I had already cleaned my quarters to a shine. I looked around quickly and took in the room around me: near the door to my room, there was another door leading to a walk-in wardrobe; a small table holding various important documents sat against the wall to the right of my bed; a longer table that I used for folding my clothes was against the wall next to my wardrobe's door. Next to that table was enough room for another door, however, this was the secret entrance to my laboratory. Besides this small collection of furniture, there was more empty space in my room than anything else.

I came to my senses quickly when there was another knock at the door. "Cryos? Are you in there?" The voice sounded familiar to me. "I have an important message for you!" It sounded like Keia, though I wanted to be sure.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm here… May I ask who is asking for me?"

"You know who… Who else with a female voice would be asking for 'the great prince of Draconia?'" I sat up and pulled myself to my feet. I walked over to the door, unhooked all of the locks, and opened the door enough to show my face.

"Oh, hey Keia! I figured it was you… Tell me, what do you need?"

"I have a message for you… Your parents trusted me to give _this_ to you," she said while pulling out a piece of yellowed parchment. The writing on it was scribbled as though it was written in a hurry. I could barely make out what was written as I read it aloud:

"'Cryos Scanzanea:

You are to report ASAP to the throne room for a private meeting with your parents. Bring Keia with you. Tell no one of this meeting, and tell no one of what you hear at the meeting. Oh, and happy birthday!' It's signed by my parents…"

"Your parents are quite the novelists…" Keia retorted.

"Yeah, I know… Right?" I said sarcastically. "Well, we should get to the throne room as soon as possible then! I'm ready for my birthday surprise!"

"You know, I was thinking the same thing… Let's go, Cryos." Keia walked out of the room and took a few steps down the hallway. She turned around and waited for me to follow. I stepped out into the corridor and shut my door carefully behind me. Still clutching my parents' note, I followed Keia in the direction of the throne room. One of the castle servants stopped us short of our destination, however.

"Good day, Prince Cryos, and Mrs. Keia too. May I ask where you two are running off to in such a hurry?"

"I'm afraid not, Ceae," I said quickly. "It is a private matter between Keia, the King and Queen, and I… We are not to tell anyone."

Ceae tilted his head to the side. "But sir, you can trust me! I won't tell anyone… Please?"

"Ceae, no! I cannot tell you… Get back to your work, please."

"So you order, so shall I do." Ceae went back to his mop and continued to swab the castle corridors. Keia and I continued on our way.

"Cryos, you might want to watch our backs," Keia whispered. "Ceae has been known to spy, so no doubt he'll try to follow us."

"That is the least of my worries right now. This private meeting is my priority."

When we arrived at the throne room, Keia immediately bowed down in front of my parents. I heard her mumble "g'day, m'Lord" before lifting her head up.

I stepped up next to her and a smile played across my lips. "You wanted to see us, Mother, Father?"

"Yes, Cryos, precisely," Father said. "I see Keia did her job well." His gaze shifted quickly to Keia.

Keia finally rose to her feet. "It was nothing!" She gave a friendly smile.

"Yes, I got the message. I brought Keia, and our meeting is still a secret… Ceae asked us where we were headed, but I told him that it was none of his concern."

"Aye, Ceae troubles me… He _is _quite the information gatherer… Always finds out what's going on. But, that is not the problem here." My father paused. Mother continued where he left off.

"Now Cryos, your father and I know that it is your eighteenth birthday… You are a man today. I know you have been looking forward to this day, what with the parades and the knighting ceremony… However, I'm afraid your 'traditional birthday' will have to wait. There is something more of a priority than your birthday." My smile faded. My mood swung from incredibly happy to a burning upset.

"What do you mean?" I screamed. "Something more important than _my_ eighteenth birthday? Whatever happened to tradition? I have waited years for—"

"Cryos, stop!" Father interrupted. "Tradition is a quickly fading concept in today's world… Listen to me, and listen to me well. Are you familiar with the story of Necril's existence?"

I nodded my head, but it was Keia who spoke. "Yes, the tale of Necril… He was the man exiled for the use of Necromancy, a forbidden magic… Right?"

Father nodded. "Very good, Keia. It seems that as a servant, you have plenty of time to think on Draconia's history… Well, you see, what your mother and I need you to do, Cryos, is…" He stopped abruptly.

Mother sighed and continued. "What we need you to do is, we need you to end this war with Necril. You see, we have grown old and short of resources… We need to put an end to this battle."

"If you could do this for us, your actions will more than prove that you have what it takes to be the King of Draconia," Father continued. "If you are successful, your reign will be successful as well."

"Do I have a choice?" I asked.

"No, we are afraid not," Mother said. "No matter what, we need your help."

"What am I to do?"

"As you know, Necril has been out there for over thirty years, and we believe he has been building an army of Darklings capable of taking us apart at the seams," Father started. "We believe that this Darkling army will be at least one hundred times larger than Rona's army was… Our intelligence reports that Necril has an 'impenetrable' fortress located in the Dark Lands, the unexplored area on our southern borders. People have ventured out to find his Keep… No one has ever returned. What your mother and I need you to do is develop a small task force. You need to gather followers and infiltrate the Keep. Cut the head off of the snake, and the rest will die."

"Eliminate Necril's threat… You could've just said that, Father."

"That's exactly what I… What _we_ want. Find people willing to aid in this effort, preferably people skilled in the art of combat or the use of magic."

Keia had been watching back and forth as we conversed. "Well, what do I have to do with all of this?" she asked.

"You have been studying our history for some time now," Mother said. "I believe Cryos could use some history lessons… Your knowledge of the world around us could prove useful to him." Mother gave me a look. Keia smiled and also turned to give me a look.

"So be it. Is there anything else you wish?" I asked.

"All that I ask is that you and Keia stay safe," Father said quietly. "Bring some weapons you two are skilled with and a map to find your way. Also…" Father pulled out a small pouch and shook it gently. The pouch emitted a tinkling noise, hinting that we were being provided money. "I'm starting you two off with two hundred Krontars apiece. You will need to stock up on supplies before you leave." Father tossed me the bag of Krontars. I caught it and gave Keia half of the contents. "Feel free to take any savings you have as well. The more money you have, the better you can prepare." Keia and I both nodded.

"This mission will prove challenging enough for even _your_ tastes, Cryos," Mother said. "Stay safe, and please bring us peace… May luck be with you both, and Rysta guide you." We were dismissed from the room.

When we reached the door leading to the corridor, we were stopped by the guard. Keia and I both watched as the guard dragged Ceae by his shirt collar up in front of my mother and father. "That can't be good," I told Keia. We both walked back into the throne room.

"M'Lord, this troublemaker was caught eavesdropping on your private meeting," the guard explained. "What shall be his punishment?"

Father looked Ceae up and down. "Bring him to me," he said. The guard shoved Ceae a little closer to my father. "Ceae, what will I ever do with you? This is the third time you have been caught listening in on my private meetings… Tell me boy, how much did you hear?"

"Honestly, I heard nothing! I had only just got to the door when the guard came by! I heard nothing!" Ceae pleaded.

"Something tells me you've been listening for a while, Ceae," I said aloud. He turned around and looked at me with fright. Then, he turned back to Father and continued.

"Okay, okay… Maybe I heard something."

"What did you hear, exactly?" Father asked.

"I heard something about searching for Necril's Keep… That's a suicide attempt in the making!" Ceae swung around and stared at me with his round blue eyes. "You'll never last Cryos! I couldn't stand to see you go…"

"Ceae," Father said. Ceae turned back around. "You have been caught on multiple offenses of eavesdropping… However, to just kick you out of the castle would leave you at the mercy of the town citizens… Tell me, how much do you value your prince?"

"I would guard him with my life, m'Lord."

Keia turned to me and whispered, "Aww… _Someone_ has a fan…" I shot her a look and she began to giggle.

"You would guard him with your life… I think I know what to do with you. You understand the task at hand?"

"Yes, m'Lord."

"Perhaps you could prove useful to your favored prince. Your punishment is accompaniment with Cryos and Keia in this dangerous venture… Cryos could use the extra hand." As if this day could get any worse!

"But Father!" I screamed out. The last thing I needed was to baby-sit _while_ undertaking this task. "Don't you think this mission is a bit dangerous for such a young lad? He's hardly thirteen! Think of his safety…"

"Cryos, come here," Father said. I slowly walked over beside Father. He leaned to me and whispered, "This 'lad' has no family… No one will miss him, and some of us at the castle will be glad of his absence. Use this to your advantage! An extra arm is always better for _your_ safety…" I nodded in agreement and smiled.

"Alright, if that's the case… Ceae, welcome to the team," I said. An eager smile came across Ceae's face and he began to jump for joy.

"I'll go and get ready immediately!" Ceae hurried to the door and flew out into the corridor.

"Wow. Someone's happy," Keia pointed out. "I guess there's nothing better than traveling with your role model, huh?"

"Keia, please don't mention it… C'mon, let's go prepare." I put my share of Krontars into my pockets, waved to my parents, and left the room. Keia joined me shortly.

"Hey, Cryos… I'm going to go get my stuff and say goodbye to Mom. I have a feeling we'll be out for a while." Keia gave me a quick hug and went off ahead.

I froze and then smiled warmly. I whispered, "I cannot believe she just hugged me…" I shook off the feeling for a bit and then went to my quarters to prepare…


	4. Preparations

My smile followed me into my quarters. With so many thoughts running through my head, I could hardly focus. 'I guess this is an okay gift… I finally get to see the entire world and experience it first-hand… And, I get to do it all with Keia too.' I opened all of the drawers on my tables and searched under my bed and through my wardrobe while frantically collecting any item that I believed would prove useful to me. Among the things I collected were an additional two hundred Krontars, two herbs, and a potion. I put everything in a medium-sized travel pack and proceeded to open up my laboratory. I was down on my hands and knees fumbling to find the button on my bed leg when there was a knock on my door. I rose to my feet in an instant. "Come in!" I shouted. Ceae busted through the door in a hurry.

"Wow… The room of a prince… It's a lot smaller than I imagined," he said.

"Well, it keeps me from losing anything. Do you have everything?"

Ceae set down a small bag. "I found a couple Krontars and an herb in my room. I'm sorry that I don't have much…"

"Do you have any weapons?"

"Yessir."

"Really? Do you know how to use any? A sword, a bow, a staff?"

"Swordarm, sir. Back when I had to tend to the bushes in the garden, I used a sword to cut them. It was practice, should I ever join the DPF."

"Let me see your sword," I demanded. Ceae handed me a fairly small sword, much more dagger-like than a sword. It was lightweight and somewhat dull. "It could use a good sharpening… Here, let me do that real quick." I got down and reached under my bed. "Ceae, what you see stays a secret, understand?"

"Uh, yes sir… What's going on?"

"You'll see." I pushed a well-hidden button on my bed's leg. A small portion of the blank wall behind me flipped open, containing a small screen and an even smaller keypad. On the screen, a blinking cursor followed the word "Username." I typed in "IceMaster," and when prompted, I entered my secret password. The screen read, "Welcome, Cryos." before the panel flipped back into the wall. The wall parted, revealing a staircase leading downward into a well-lit room.

"Please lock the bedroom door, and then follow me," I directed. Ceae quickly locked the door and hurried to catch up with me. Down the stairs was a smallish room made of a metal material. "This is my lab." I turned around to face Ceae, and his facial expression clearly showed his amazement. I walked over to a small machine in the back of the room and placed Ceae's dagger in a slot. I pushed a few buttons, and the machine started up. After a few seconds of whirring, the sword came back out. "Here you are! The cutting edge, you see, is sharp enough to prove useful now."

"Wow… I've never seen anything like this before! I never expected to see anything like this either…"

"It's awesome, isn't it? Oh, hold on." I walked to a nearby display case. Inside was a razor-sharp longsword. In front of the case was a button on a pedestal with the word "Release" written above the button. I pressed the button and watched the sword drop through a trapdoor in the display case and rise up beside the pedestal. I grabbed it by its handle and swung it once through the air. A high-pitched whistling noise could be heard. I pulled the sheath off of a nearby holding rack and slipped the sword inside, then fastened it to my side. I walked past Ceae without paying attention, but before I forgot him, I said, "C'mon Ceae. We need to get Keia and get started on our journey." Ceae silently followed me back up the stairs. We both watched the wall close up behind us. "Remember, this stays a secret…"

"No problem! Yes sir!"

"If you tell anyone, I'll—" There was a knock at the door. I ran over and unfastened the only lock Ceae had locked. Keia started to push open the door.

"Or you'll do what, exactly?" she asked as she stepped into the room. She shot me a look as though she had heard everything.

"Um… Nothing! Nothing to worry about!" I said with a look of embarrassment on my face. "Are you ready to go?"

Keia sat a bag down on the floor. "Yeah… Mom gave me an additional one hundred Krontars and a couple of potions she had been saving up for just the occasion… Also…" Keia pulled a bow off of her back. "I have my favorite bow… I have a few arrows too, but I don't think it'll be enough for our trip."

"_That's_ why we're stopping by the store before we leave town. It could be awhile before we run across another town," I pointed out.

"How much do you have, Cryos?" Keia asked me.

"I have the two hundred Krontars from Father, and an additional two hundred more from my own savings. I also have my sword, handmade by yours truly."

"I have a couple of Krontars and an herb," Ceae said.

"So, altogether, we have four hundred and two Krontars, three herbs, and three potions," I said. "It's a good start."

"Well, if everyone's ready to go, we should get moving!" Keia said while picking up her bag. Ceae and I gathered our stuff as well. Keia was the first to leave, so Ceae and I followed after her.

'This is going to be quite a journey…' I thought.


	5. Shopping for Supplies

It took us about an hour or so to leave the castle. Many of the castle servants and residents asked where I was headed, and some even tried to stop me. I just uttered "I'll stay safe" to anyone who asked.

When we reached the city square, there was a variety of shops to choose from. Closest to the castle was a shop for weapons, just opened last week. Something told me that my parents had been planning ahead. Right next door to the weapons store was an armor shop that normally only sold to members of the DPF. Perhaps they would change their mind if the prince walked in?

"Keia, Ceae, protectives?" I asked while pointing at the armor shop. Ceae nodded his head.

"You two go on ahead… I need to get arrows for the trip. Fifteen arrows won't last me very long," Keia said.

"If you insist! Try to save some money for other things, alright?"

"I won't buy more than fifty. I hear there's a discount today because it's your birthday: an arrow per Krontar."

"That's a good deal! Knock yourself out," Ceae said. Keia skipped across the street and into the weapons shop.

"Well, let's go get protectives…" I said. Ceae followed me to the armor shop.

As soon as I stepped through the door, the shop owner came from behind the counter and walked up to me. He wore goggles on top of his head and thick leather gloves covered his hands. "Prince Cryos! I am honored to make your acquaintance!" he said and shook my hand. "Your parents told me to watch out for you… Sad you'd need something to protect yourself."

"Well, nothing too heavy, please… I need to stay mobile and able to cast magic."

"Oh, not to worry. Your father picked something out with you in mind. It's an experimental piece of armor, but it works well enough. I keep it in the back."

"Anything for Ceae?" I asked.

"Well… No. I was only told to have stuff for you and Keia. I might be able to get him something at a discount…"

I looked to Ceae. "Let's look at mine first. We'll decide for him afterwards."

"No problem, m'Lord." The shopkeeper took me back behind the counter and into the private room in the back. There were many tables here with scraps of metal and parts of unfinished armor. A large furnace took up the back corner, and next to the furnace was a younger man forging armor. I stood near the entrance while the shopkeeper approached the man in the back.

"Prince Cryos has come… We need to give him that special gauntlet."

Immediately, the young man turned around and lifted up his welding mask. "You mean… _That_ armor?" The shopkeeper nodded his head. His apprentice (I'm assuming) walked up to me and shook my hand. "Prince Cryos, m'Lord, your gauntlet is over here." He led me to a nearby table and lifted up a gauntlet that appeared to easily fit my hand. "Please, put it on." I slipped my hand inside. What had once been a gauntlet wrapped itself up my arm, and soon enough, my arm now had a protective metal arm guard.

"Wow…" I muttered while staring at my arm.

The shopkeeper shouted, "The experimental gauntlet was a success!"

"So, it's just protection?"

"No, no, Cryos… If you mess with the buttons on the gauntlet, several screens will show your stats, location, everything you're carrying… _And_, it keeps track of other party members too."

"That's pretty cool."

"Yes, it is." A slam could be heard out in the main shop, followed by the sound of metal hitting the floor. The shopkeeper and I rushed out of the room. Keia was standing in front of the door with an expression of hurt on her face. Caea looked as though he had been frightened, a helmet lying on the floor at his feet.

"Keia, are you alright?" I asked.

"No, I'm not! That stupid weapons shop owner kicked me out just because 'I'm a servant of the castle!'" she burst out. She broke down into tears.

I walked up to her and took her hands in mine. "Not to worry… He'll change his mind real fast… We'll get you your armor first, and then deal with him next."

For a minute, Keia was silent. Then, she finally looked up at me. "Okay… You'll do that for me?"

"Yeah, no problem… I'll buy some protective leather gloves for you and Ceae both, you'll get your no doubt 'experimental' piece of armor from the shopkeeper, and then we'll head to the weapons shop. Sound good?"

"Thanks," Keia whispered. The shop assistant came from the back.

"Lady Keia, please come with me." I let go of Keia's hands and she walked past me into the back room. The shopkeeper took his place behind the counter. He had already gathered up two pairs of leather gloves and a couple pairs of leather boots. I walked up to the counter.

"Wait, I said two pairs of leather gloves!" I exclaimed. "I don't want to spend more money than I need to…"

"You pay for the gloves, and the boots come free… A gift, for the lady."

"That's really nice of you… What about Ceae's?" I asked, turning to face Ceae.

"Both pairs are free. That'll be forty Krontars."

"That's really generous of you!" I reached into my coin pouch and produced the asked price. "Forty it is." I handed the coins to the shopkeeper, who in return "handed" me the gloves. I tossed one pair to Ceae. "Put 'em on," I demanded. Ceae slipped them on quickly and walked up to the counter. He took a pair of boots off of the counter and sat down to put them on. Keia stepped out of the back room.

"What did you get, Keia?" I asked her. I could see what appeared to be similar to a jeweler's monocle strapped to her head. At first glance, I thought it was a hair ornament.

"Well, the assistant says that it's a Zoom Lens. He says that it will allow me to see further and clearer while using my bow."

"Sounds like it'll come in handy. Oh, speaking of 'hands…' I have a couple of things for you." I walked over to her and handed her the gloves and boots. "For an archer."

"Really? How much did you spend on me?"

"Only about twenty Krontars, and twenty for Ceae."

"Oh." Keia put on the gloves and fit into the boots.

"Now if everyone's ready, we have to deal with the weapons owner," I said. Keia and Ceae both nodded. Keia turned around and said "Thank you" to the shopkeeper before we left.

The weapons store owner quickly raised his head to attention when I opened the door. "Oh, good day m'Lord Prince Cryos! How may I help you?"

"You can start by telling me why you turned this young lady down when she asked for arrows…" Keia came into the shop and stood shyly beside me. Ceae remained outside.

"Well, the law states that we are not to sell weapons to servants… Prevents an uprising."

"Yes? Well, the prince has rights to lift rules for special circumstances, correct?"

"You cannot go against your father's laws, Prince Cryos. Remember what happened to Necril?" The shopkeeper must have thought he had me beat.

"Surely Father said we'd be coming?" I stated.

"Yes, he said you would be here… Never said anything about a servant girl."

"You must've forgotten, then. You're notorious for hating the castle servants!" I shouted. I knew this man from somewhere before.

"No need to have a temper, m'Lord…"

"I'll shout if I want to! Today's my birthday, and I declare that if you don't get us some arrows _now_, so help me, Father will know for sure! Imagine, you'll be closed down for sure," I yelled out of anger.

"No, please m'Lord… Anything but that…"

"As of today, my girl Keia here is just as equal a citizen as anyone else… She is an official adventurer, and she needs her arrows."

"How many did you need?" the shopkeeper asked Keia.

Keia spoke up. "Fifty, please…"

"Here, take 'em!" The shopkeeper handed me a bundle of arrows wrapped up nice and neat. "They're on the house, free of charge… Just don't tell anyone of this mishap."

I smiled. "No problem." I handed the arrows to Keia. As we walked out, I asked, "So, wanna try the item shop next?"

Ceae looked up at me. "That was scary, m'Lord…"

"Please, call me Cryos. No formalities for now…"

"Um, okay Cryos. I didn't know you could yell like that."

"Comes natural, coming from my family and all… Keia, item shop?" She silently nodded. "I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Directly across the street from the weapons shop was the item shop. We would need to stock up as much as possible. After all, we have a long way to the next town.

"Well, since we got so much for free… We'll have plenty of money to spend at the item shop," Keia said.

"It would be best if we saved some, just in case… You never know when someone could get badly injured," I said.

"How about a few more potions?" Keia asked. "You never know when someone could get badly injured and we're far from the next town."

I was silent for a second. "You know, you're right." The three of us walked into the item shop together. The shopkeeper was a woman. She gave me a look from behind her counter.

"Prince Cryos, what're you doing here? I know I haven't been doing nothin' wrong… Shouldn't you be in the castle?" she asked.

"Not today… Today, I need some items," I said.

"Items? Someone in the castle hurt themself?"

"No… Today, I'm on a mission. I have to end Necril's reign of terror."

"Are you insane? We can't have our prince goin' out and killin' himself now! Cryos, what's goin' on?"

"My father issued this to me… He wants to make me a man."

"Oh, well, I guess there ain't nothin' you can do to prevent that… I want you to stay safe, understand?"

"No problem. Can I buy something now?" I asked.

"Buy? No. I want you to be safe… Tell me whatcha need, and I'll get it for you. Y'all can have it free o' charge."

"Wow Cryos… The shopkeepers really like you," Keia whispered.

"Yeah, I know," I whispered back. "Uh, we were going to buy five potions, but I guess buying isn't an option now."

"Five potions?" The shopkeeper dug around behind her desk and set five small bottles on the counter. "Five potions it is."

"Free of charge?"

"Yessir! Gon on, take 'em!"

"Thank you…" I grabbed the five bottles one by one and stuffed them into my bag. "Well, I guess that's everything… Time to get started on our way."

"Yeah!" Ceae shouted. Keia turned to him and covered his mouth.

"There's no need to shout, Ceae…" she mumbled.

"Y'all stay safe now, y'hear? Happy hunting!" the shopkeeper told us.

"Yeah. Easier said than done…" I mumbled. Keia, Ceae, and I stepped out of the shop.

"We head out through the main gate to get to the mountain's foothills," Keia pointed out. "I really think maybe we should try searching for Rona first. According to stories I've heard, he may reside in the FoxWoods, hidden from society."

"Rona? Why Rona?"

"Because, he'll know where Necril's Keep is… Besides, he may also hold a grudge against Necril, _and_ he's _got_ to be strong."

"Well, maybe _you_ should lead," I said sarcastically.

"No, you lead. I'll guide."

"Fine." I started to head to the city gates…


	6. Farewell, CentraCity!

It is a fairly long walk to the city gates from the city square. The city square is a somewhat short walk from the castle courtyard, but from there the distance is about ten times as far. I have no idea _how _many people gathered around my party as we walked the streets towards the gates, but many of them quickly turned away. My expression read as determination as I marched at a steady pace alongside a number of buildings. I noticed Keia glancing over at me every now and then, although I pretended that I had not known. I could start to feel Ceae's smile burning into the back of my head.

As we approached the gates, anyone that followed us there quickly dispersed. After all, outside of the gates is fair territory: needless to say, we will become fair game to anything out there.

"I've never seen the city gates so close before…" Keia softly said.

"They're really big," came from Ceae.

"I'll go and tell the guard our business," I said.

Keia nodded and uttered, "Uh huh." I walked up to the two guards standing in front of the inside of the gate. Both guards bowed down hastily.

The taller of the guards said, "Prince Cryos, m'Lord, your business sir?"

"Father's orders to open this gate for my party and I. We're on a mission that requires access to the outside," I explained.

"M'Lord? Are you sure? You are our future King! It's dangerous out there!" The other guard looked utterly confused.

"Yes, I'm sure. There is no other choice in the matter… Please open the gates."

"Yes, m'Lord." The taller guard turned around and shouted up at a tower up next to the gate. "Gatekeeper! Prince Cryos requests access for he and his party! Open the gate!" There was no response, yet the gate still opened. On the other side of the gate was a large expanse of canyon cliffs. I could faintly see the green of the treetops that were part of the FoxWoods.

"So, m'Lord, what exactly is it you are doing?" the shorter guard asked.

"Necril's reign of terror is coming to an end…"

"Necril? M'Lord, have you lost your mind? Nobody knows where his Keep is!"

"There is one," Keia said as she and Ceae walked up to either side of me. "Rona."

"That is equally dangerous!"

"We know that, but it's a risk we have to take. Finding Rona will not be easy, but if we can… We have found Necril's Keep." I pointed out towards the FoxWoods. "That is our priority destination. Keia says he may be somewhere around there… The fox spirits should know."

"M'Lord, you talk crazy, but anyone seeking Necril must be. I wish you luck… Rysta watch over you."

"Keep protecting the city so we have a place to come back to!" Ceae shouted. I shot him a look.

Keia sighed. "I just hope we'll be able to come back home…" We walked through the gates and watched them close behind us. I turned back to the horizon.

"Keia, are there any towns on the Plains?" I asked.

"There should be maybe one or two out there… I'm not sure, but we could search. We may find some ruins from Rona's battle with the Darklings."

"If we find ruins, that means any spoils are ours," I suggested.

"True, but towns have food," Keia said.

"Yeah!" Ceae exclaimed.

"Well, we search the Plains then," I said. "I can say, this is the beginning of our journey." I started down the rocky mountain path, followed by Keia and Ceae.


	7. The Foothills

"I'm bored already," Ceae said. He was in the rear behind Keia and I.

"Oh, but Ceae! This'll be much more fun when we get to the Plains, I promise," I said.

"Actually, I think things are going to get interesting right now!" Keia shouted and pointed up the cliff wall. Two fairly large boulders were rolling down at an accelerating pace down on top of us.

"No time to think! Run!" I shouted. The three of us began to run down the mountain path as quickly as we could while trying not to stumble.

"Those boulders are catching up with us!" Keia screamed. Ceae turned around to look but tripped in the process.

"Ceae!" I stopped running forward to go back and help him up. Keia was smart enough to stop and avoid running ahead without us. She ran over to us and watched the boulders quickly approach…

I looked up in time and shouted, "Freeze!" A stream of ice left my fingertips and created a solid wall of ice in front of us. The boulders hit the wall and stopped rolling. Keia, Ceae, and I were breathing heavily as we all stood up off the ground. "Hah! That was close!" I laughed. "That was _too_ close! Hah!"

"Cryos…" I turned around to look at Keia. She was pointing at the boulders again. I turned around and looked at them. They were moving as though they were shivering against the ice. Suddenly, they leapt up into the air and over us. When they landed, they unfolded to reveal a couple of fairly large rock creatures.

"Um… I think it would've been a great idea to stop by the library first and pick up a monster guide before we left the castle," I said.

"No problem!" Keia pulled out a large book. "I did the honors."

"Oh."

Keia fanned through the pages and stopped on an entry. "These things are Boulder Lords. They aren't going to be easy to kill because they're not the lowest level creatures out there… It says they're weakened by ice magic and absolutely hate water magic."

"Since we only have ice, it's time to put the freeze on these things," I said. Ceae stood back out of the way.

"Good luck, Cryos," Keia said. "I can't do anything until they are frozen."

I nodded. I drew my sword and readied myself. One of the two Boulder Lords moved forward for an attack. Actually, it moved very slowly. 'This is too easy.' When it got into range, it lifted up its arm and prepared to strike. I lifted _my_ hand and blasted its arm with a jet of ice wind. Its arm froze and then broke off under the weight. When its arm hit the ground, the arm shattered. While it was confused, I froze the Boulder Lord entirely.

"Keia, have at it!" I yelled to Keia and went to the other one. It eyed its frozen partner and then looked at me. I could sense a fear. The Boulder Lord rolled up and got away as fast as it could. 'That made this battle much easier,' I thought. I turned back around to see the other Boulder Lord in pieces. "That was fast."

"I told you I've been practicing with my bow! A few shots to destroy the head, and the rest of the body fell to pieces. It was nothing," Keia said.

Ceae walked over to join us. "I'm sorry that I didn't help…"

"We had it covered… Just, in the future, at least try, okay?"

"Yeah…"

"Ceae, do you know magic?" Keia asked.

Ceae looked up at Keia. "Just a little bit of water magic… I'm not skilled."

"If we ever get thirsty," I said, "we have you. Let's get moving… We're pretty close to the foot of the mountain." Keia nodded and collected her arrows from the pile of rocks left over from the Boulder Lord. We all continued our trek down the mountainside.

At the bottom of the mountain path, an increasing amount of vegetation began to appear. Just ahead on level ground was the start of the large expanse of green fields known as the Draconian Plains.

"It's a lot larger up close than it seems from the city," I said. Keia silently nodded.

"There! Off in the distance!" Ceae shouted and pointed at what appeared to be a city on the horizon.

My eyes lit up. "That is our first destination," I said. "Any objections?" Keia silently shook her head. Ceae smiled. I turned to face Keia. "Is something wrong?" I asked. She had a look of worry in her eyes.

"Uh, no, no," she said and shook her head again. "It's just… I saw this place in a dream. It was out here on the Plains, the ruins of a great city… The towers made of stone were covered in plant life… We were all there, the three of us… It was quiet, and then one of us found something that looked important… I remember a flash of light, and then I woke up."

"Something important?" I asked. "What did it look like?"

"It was silver… Resembled a helmet almost, or the faceplate of a helmet. I remember a very long antenna-looked thing coming out of the top."

"Well, that was in a dream… It probably wasn't anything we should worry about. Right now, we should worry about getting to that town." I started to walk, followed by Ceae, and finally Keia.


	8. The Plains

"You know, it looks less and less like a town as we get closer," Ceae pointed out.

"I know! You keep saying that," I said. We were quickly approaching the "town" we saw earlier. I noticed that as we got closer, what I thought I had seen was fading and the town was looking more and more abandoned. I was starting to see that Keia's dream might have been more of a vision. I turned around to make sure Keia was still there.

"Keia, I'm starting to believe your dream."

Keia sighed. "We're so close… We might as well just see."

It was not a town after all. When we were only a few feet from the structure, it was now the ruins of an ancient city. "Well, this sucks!" Ceae shouted. "All that walk for nothing!"

Keia walked closer and put one hand on the side of a stone tower. She turned around to face Ceae and I. "Guys? This is exactly what I saw in my dream… The ruins of an ancient city. What do you think this means?"

I saw a lone flag hanging from one of the taller towers. I climbed up onto a pile of rubble to get a closer look. Even then I could not distinguish the flag. "Keia, your Zoom Lens?"

"My Zoom Lens?" I pointed to the flag. "Oh." She zoomed in on the flag. "By Rysta…"

"What? What does the flag portray?" I asked.

"It's the symbol of the Draconian royal family… The Draconian crest… I think these are the ruins of the old Draconian capitol!"

Upon closer inspection of the tower that the flag was hanging from, I would say that it definitely looked like a castle. "No way… Destroyed by Rona?"

"Actually, destroyed long before Rona even came along… It was destroyed in the war against darkness many hundreds of years ago. I just don't understand what could cause these ruins to look like a town from a distance," Keia said.

"Maybe an illusion…"

"I've heard more than once that this place was used as a trap by the Darklings… Thinking it was a town, DPF soldiers would come expecting a place to rest… When they were in range, the Darklings would attack them. They 'disappeared mysteriously.'"

"Uh, guys? What's this?" Ceae asked from inside one of the buildings. Keia and I entered the building to see what appeared to be a miniature antenna sticking out of the ground. Keia was silent.

"No clue, but it looks different than the rest of the ruins," I said.

"I'll dig it up." Ceae dug through the dirt and debris until the antenna and what it was attached to were revealed. Ceae held up a metal mask with two antennae coming off of the top of it. The mask actually appeared to be more of a part of a helmet, but it was too elongated to have been worn by a human.

"Oh my… It's just like in my dream," Keia mumbled.

"Any idea of what it is?" I asked.

"Well, according to the story my mother told me of Rona's attack, Rona wore a specialized cyber armor to enhance his already-powerful abilities even further… His armor was developed to strike fear into those who saw him while adding impenetrable defenses. It was said that when he turned on his army, he shed his armor, unlocking his true potential… This may just be his helmet."

"Maybe we should hold on to it? Perhaps someone around knows where Rona went?" I suggested and snatched the faceplate from Ceae.

"Cryos, do you know the likelihood of meeting _anyone_ who survived Rona's attack and knows where he went? You're asking the impossible."

"_Anything_ is possible if you put your mind to it. If those are the ruins of the old capitol, there should be another town nearby. We could ask around there."

"Using the twenty-year old faceplate of a disappeared fox spirit? You're wasting your time," Keia said.

"Well _I'm_ keeping the faceplate. Someone is sure to recognize it." I stuffed the faceplate into my bag and stepped outside of the building. "If you're coming, let's go." Keia sighed and came out of the building too. Ceae followed. We put the ruins behind us and headed in the direction of where I thought the other town was.


	9. Encounter with Another Darkling

"Well, isn't that amazing?" I asked suddenly. Keia and Ceae both stopped walking to give me confused looks.

"What is, Cryos?" Keia asked.

I smiled. "We haven't been attacked out here yet! It's amazing… I can hike across the Plains without fearing danger!" My smile faded immediately when I heard the sound of birds rapidly flying away. "Well, nevermind. Someone's coming." I led the group to a cluster of rocks nearby. I peeked over a rock to see a young woman coming up to the spot where we had just been standing.

"Oh, what am I to do? I've been searching for him for twenty years now! He couldn't have gone far…" The woman appeared to be upset, but her voice had a sweet tone. "Oh, Rona… Why did you ever leave me alone in this world?"

"Rona? She's talking about Rona!" I whispered excitedly.

"Maybe you're right… Someone is bound to know something, and she just might be it," Keia said.

"What do you think? Should we approach her?" Ceae asked.

"Just what I was thinking." I stood up from behind our cover. The woman immediately turned to face me. She raised one hand and it began to glow. "Whoa, whoa, hold on! I don't mean any harm! I just overheard you talking about Rona, and maybe I could be of some help to you."

"You know Rona too?" the woman asked and began to lower her arm slowly.

"Well, not exactly… But, I believe that if we worked together… We could find him. I'm looking for him too."

"How do I know you won't try to hurt him?"

"I don't have a death wish… Attacking would surely get me killed."

"True. I guess I can trust you."

"Alright!" I took my pack off and started to dig through it. "I have something here for you to look at. If you really know Rona, perhaps you'll know what to do with this?" I pulled out the armored faceplate and held it up. The woman took it from me and examined it. After a couple of seconds, she dropped it and gasped.

"This… This faceplate belonged to Rona! I remember this from when I—" She stopped. "N-nevermind, not here, not now. Meet me tonight, you and your group there behind the rocks… Meet me at the Rysta's Blessing tavern in the nearby town… Rent a room there for three and find me in room number four. It is a luxury room that is sound-proof. I'll explain everything then."

"How about a name?" I asked.

"I go by Vegance," she replied.

"Cryos," I said. "See you tonight, I suppose." Vegance ran off towards the town quickly. I turned around to face my previous cover. Keia and Ceae stood up and walked over to me.

"How did she know we were behind the rocks?" Keia asked.

"I…cannot explain that. You heard everything?"

"Rysta's Blessing tavern, rent a room, go to number four, and meet Vegance," Ceae reiterated.

"I'll take that as a yes," I said. The three of us continued our walk to the nearby town.

By the time we arrived at the town, night had already fallen. I had wondered why we could not see the town for awhile; the town was very small. It was more of a waypoint for travelers than a town. There were a few shops selling odds and ends, a weapons shop, and a defense shop. At the far corner was the Rysta's Blessing tavern and inn.

"Something tells me this is the place," Keia said. I could hear loud music just inside. I turned and looked at Ceae.

"Children aren't allowed into taverns, are they?" I asked.

"No, but he's so short, they won't even see him over the counter," Keia said.

"Then in we go!" I pushed open the door. The music was blaring and the smell of beer and salt flooded my nose. At many of the tables, men talked among themselves and drunken women giggled. A few rowdy guys were goofing off in one of the corners, causing a lot of noise. Keia and I walked up to the counter, followed by Ceae. The innkeeper came up to greet us.

"Welcome! Come for a drink?" she asked.

I looked back at all of the drunks. Some were eyeing me suspiciously. "Actually, no. I need to rent a room for three."

The innkeeper looked to me and then to Keia. "Three?"

"Yeah. Me and my, er, wife, and our child," I lied.

"Oh, I see! A married couple… Yeah, we have a room for you," the innkeeper said. "Actually, a young woman paid for you three already… Said you three would be comin' by tonight."

"So, it's free?" I asked.

"Yeah, go on ahead." I smiled at Keia and we headed up to stairs to the upper level. I never felt those eyes leave my head all the way up the stairs.

"Room four," Ceae said and pointed to the door. Keia and I nodded, and I opened the door. Vegance was sitting by the windowsill looking out at the night sky. She turned her head to see me.

"Go ahead and come in. Take a spot anywhere, because I have a long story to tell you. Did you bring the faceplate?"

"Uh…" I did not remember picking it back up. Ceae, however, pulled it out of his bag. He handed it to Vegance.

"This mask… This was a part of Rona's armor, yes. So far, you have been correct… I know this is part of his, because I was there when Rona was made," Vegance began. I sat down on a nearby bed. "See, I too am a Darkling… And like Rona, I quit my job.

"I was created not by Necril, but by someone else. Yes, Necril had a brother. He and his brother held a grudge towards each other much like Necril holds a grudge towards Draconia. One day, Necril and his brother decided to have a competition. They competed to see who could create the better Darkling. Thus, I came first.

"Necril's brother created me from darkness magic and infused me with the power of all beasts in this land. He gave me the ability to shapeshift to fit my mood, in hopes that I could adapt to any situation. I was named Vegance, like 'Vengeance,' only more feminine. My natural form was that of a beautiful woman, to fool any whom I was to kill.

"Rona, however, was given a more frightening form, so as to strike fear into the hearts of all who saw him. Without the armor, he was only a black-furred fox spirit, a handsome one at that… With the armor, he was fearsome. Necril had to give Rona as much power as possible, so he enhanced him to be near-unstoppable. I was there when it happened… I watched Rona as he sat up for the first time, as he started to move…

"Rona was assigned as the general of Necril's Darkling army so that he could test Rona's power… I was assigned second in command. Together, Rona and I spread chaos… We formed a sort of, uh, bond with each other, and I didn't care if I hurt anyone so long as Rona was still there. I was selfish…

"One day, he saved my life. The DPF men found my hideout and could've killed me… Rona came from nowhere and stopped their attack. Since then, I have loved him…

"When Rona started to act funny on the battlefield, I knew something was up. He kept dropping to his knees periodically, clutching his head and shouting 'Leave me alone!' I didn't know what to do! He turned against us and broke his armor… He wouldn't touch me, but he killed the lesser Darklings… He gave me one last sad look before he disappeared… I have yet to see him. My name may have been forgotten in the story, but he will always be remembered." Vegance took a deep breath and dried her eyes. "However, I have hope now. When you brought me this mask, something told me I'd be reunited with Rona again. You said you were searching for him, right?"

"Yeah," I finally said. "We need him. He has power enough to defeat Necril, and we also needed someone who could lead us to Necril's Keep."

"I could lead you there, but you have to help me find Rona first. See this mask?" Vegance brushed her hand over the eyeholes. "It was close to Rona's mind, and as such, has absorbed quite a bit of magic. If we can trace his magic… We can definitely find him."

"Do you know how to trace the magic?" Keia asked.

"If anyone would recognize Rona's scent, it would be me." Vegance put one hand on top of the mask and slipped the other underneath. She developed a blank stare on her face and sat motionless for a minute. As I began to wonder if she was still alive, she sprain back into consciousness. "Rona has been all over this land… Probably did it in secret. However, I feel a very powerful source of magic, a _strong_ source, located deep into the FoxWoods. That may be his whereabouts."

"Thanks Vegance… You've been very helpful for a Darkling," Keia said.

"Keia, watch your manners! Darkling or not, a helpful hand is very welcome here. Normally, you're very respectful," I said. Keia shot me a glare. I ignored her and continued conversing with Vegance. "So, you seek Rona too?"

"Yes, I do. I would appreciate your help in seeking him out. I will do everything I can to help you as well." I turned and looked at Ceae, who had been silent this whole time. As though reading my mind, he nodded his head. I shrugged and focused on Keia. She nodded slowly, as though to display reluctance. I turned back to Vegance.

"Okay, we'll have you along. What kind of weapon do you use?" I asked.

"_Weapons_," she said and pulled out a small case from under one of the beds. She opened it up and inside were two small daggers shaped with a curved blade each. She picked them up and fumbled with them a bit. "These daggers are the very same ones that I used when I served for Rona… I haven't used them in a many good year, but should they prove worthless, I can also shapeshift and am skilled with lightning magic."

"Great! Well then, we leave in the morning," I said.

"That's a good thing, because most Darklings only hunt at night," Vegance said.

"Well if we're not leaving until morning, we should sleep well tonight. We need to be rested for the journey ahead. I'd say that this town is maybe a quarter of the way to the FoxWoods," Keia stated.

"Then sleep it is," Ceae mumbled sleepily and fell back on his bed. Keia and I lay back on our own beds, and Vegance crawled into the last remaining bed.


	10. Journey to the FoxWoods

Morning came sooner than I expected. I opened my eyes to bright sunlight pouring into the room from the window. I sat up and stretched, and upon looking around the room, noticed everyone was gone!

"Keia? Ceae? Vegance? Where is everyone?" I flew out of bed and ran into the hallway, almost knocking the innkeeper over. "E-excuse me, have you seen a brown-haired young girl come through here?" She shook her head. "How about a short little boy with blonde hair?" Again she shook her head. "Well… How about an older woman, kinda pale, dark black hair? _Please_ tell me you've seen her…"

"Well, she's been around here for years… She actually came through here, now that I think of it," the innkeeper said.

"Which way did she go?"

"She went outside. She couldn't have gone far."

"Thank you!" I hurried out of the tavern and started for the town outskirts. Three men stepped out and blocked my path.

"You're the prince, ain'tcha?" the biggest of them asked.

"Uh, yeah?"

"There's a bounty on your head 'round here… Saw ya come inta the pub las' night… Reco'nized ya instan'ly. Our boss wants ya dead."

"That's kinda what a bounty is," I pointed out.

"Tha's not the point. Today, ya die!" The three men drew guns on me: their leader held a rifle and the other two drew pistols. I immediately drew my sword and used my gauntlet to block the gunfire as I approached one of the guys holding a pistol. He was not smart enough to move as I brought my hand up and slashed his hand off. Gawking at the sight of his own blood, he freaked out and tripped and fell in the process of trying to run away. Their leader moved to find cover while the other guy continued firing at me. I ran forward and stabbed him through the stomach as he started to back away. He looked down at the blade and then back up at me, and then he fell backwards off of my sword. I looked up just in time to see their leader aim his gun over the cover. I rolled to the left to avoid his fire.

"Give it up, boy! Ya ain't gettin' outta here alive!" he shouted.

"We'll see," I mumbled. I dashed toward him as he attempted to reload. I came around his cover and split his head in two with my sword. As I pulled back my sword, the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind me. I swung around and held my sword to Keia's neck. "Keia?" I put my sword away.

"We heard the gunfire! What's going on?" she asked.

"These men said that there was a bounty on my head out here… That bothers me."

"Well, it looks like you had it covered," Keia pointed out.

"Yeah? Well, where were you all when I needed you? I woke up this morning and I was alone! I thought I was abandoned…"

"We were stocking up on supplies," Vegance said. She and Ceae walked up behind Keia. Vegance was wearing some sort of duster jacket. "We bought some extra potions, and I got this awesome jacket too."

"Well, I guess any protection is better than none," I said.

"Wanna get out of here?" Ceae asked.

"Oh, yes, definitely, before anyone else tries to take my head," I replied. Before further discussion, we put the town behind us.

A half hour had passed since we left the town. We had put quite a bit of distance between us and the town, so much distance in fact that we could hardly see it anymore. "So, you're sure we're heading in the right direction?" I asked Vegance. She was currently leading us.

"Oh, yes… We're following Rona's trail of magic power right now." I looked down at the faceplate in Vegance's hand. "So long as I hold this mask, I can feel his presence."

"What would you estimate our distance to be from the FoxWoods?" Keia asked.

"Still quite a ways, young one. We won't make it by nightfall for sure, so I hope you all are ready to fight some of the stray Darklings," Vegance replied.

"Stray Darklings?" I asked. "I thought all of the Darklings were destroyed by Rona?"

"You're wrong. He destroyed many, but some of them managed to escape… There are quite a few out there still, lost and wild… They've become hunters of the night."

"What do Darklings look like, anyway?" Ceae asked.

"The most common Darklings are small and somewhat weak-looking… They're called Spawns. They have glowing red or white eyes and an unnatural form to them. As the night shadows change, so too do their forms… But mostly, they're a nuisance. It's the big ones you have to worry about," Vegance explained.

"There's big ones too?" Ceae asked.

"Oh, yes… Very big, very strong. They're much fewer, and cannot venture outside of the Dark Lands. They rely on a constant, strong, dark energy force that only the Dark Lands can provide. We won't have to worry about them for a while."

"Ground forces, I hope," I said.

"Some can fly. Not many were created because their flying ability exhausts their energy source quickly, so it's much easier to maintain ground forces. Some flying Darklings, Airrators, _do_ exist still. The larger ground units are called Nightmares, and their physical appearance matches the name. They're like walking tanks, huge, destructive… Mostly, they're living armor animated by dark magicks and surrounded by other elements for added magic resistance… They absorb pretty much any magic you throw at them, and it makes them stronger. I used to work alongside them at the Keep… But, I never thought that I might have to fight some someday."

"It must be hard on you, to change your lifestyle from one of darkness and evil to one where you can fit into the social world," I said.

"Believe me, it's not easy. That town back there… It's the only town that would accept me. It's a somewhat lawless town, but at least they took me in. I'm just glad to be out of there now. A few days back, some strangely dressed men came to me saying that my old master was looking for me, and I could live if I left the town… Good thing you guys came along," Vegance said with a smile.

"No problem," Keia said.

Vegance sighed. "When night comes… I want to be alone for a little. I need time to stare at the stars… Pray to Rysta, that sorta thing… If you don't mind."

"Oh, no problem! Take your time, Vegance," I said politely.

"Thanks."

Night had fallen earlier than expected. From our spot in the middle of the Fields, the stars could be seen easily in the night sky. Keia and I had built a fire and she, Ceae, and I were all gathered around it just conversing with one another. Vegance had left the campsite as we were starting the fire about ten minutes ago.

"So, Cryos… What's it like, being a prince and all?" Ceae asked me.

I looked at him with a puzzled expression on my face. "Where did that come from?"

"I'm just curious…"

"Yeah, Cryos, why don't you just fill us in on the life of a prince? You've never actually told me before," Keia said.

"Well… You know… I live," I said, trying to avoid the topic.

"No Cryos… Tell me. I'll do anything to hear!" Keia said. My mind began to wander.

"You and I can discuss payment later. I guess I can tell you two," I said. I took a deep breath. "Well, as a prince… My life is very boring. Actually, I'm surprised that I didn't die of boredom over eighteen years! Most of the time, I deal with matters of the public, and the rest of my time, I lay in my room. Yeah, sometimes, I spend time with my friends… Well, _friend_, you, Keia. You know, you're the only friend I've ever had. I've never had any pets, and my freedom is very limited… I rarely get out of the castle, but everyone still knows who I am."

"I'd imagined that, being a prince, you would have done a lot of fun things," Keia said.

"It's a lot more work than you think," I said. "I rarely get time to myself."

"Are you going to tell her about your secret in your room?" Ceae asked.

"Ceae!" I shouted.

"What secret?" Keia asked. "What could Ceae know that I don't?"

"I, uh…" I tried to think of something. When nothing came to mind, I sighed. "I had enough time to build myself a laboratory in my room."

"You have a laboratory?" Keia asked.

"Yes… It was _supposed_ to stay a secret, but Ceae just ruined it."

"Have you ever built anything in there?"

"Actually, yes. I built my sword," I said while pulling it out. "I was also working on a teleportation device… I wanted to escape from the castle. My only problem is, I could never get it to turn on. I've worked on it for years, but I can't finish it. I need help with it."

"Well, your life isn't _entirely_ boring," Keia said. She put her hand on my shoulder.

After a long silence, I asked, "So, what's it like, being a servant?"

"Hmm… You don't know what you're missing. I've been a servant all of my life… Something is _always_ happening. I'm never bored, because most of the time, I'm cleaning up after you."

"Oh, you can't bring that up!" I said. "Believe me, I've cleaned up some of your own social 'messes…' Should I remind you about the weapon shop?"

"Thank you, Cryos… I never got to repay you for that."

"We'll discuss payment at another time." I glanced at Ceae. "Not with the child here…"

"Hey! I'm not a child!" Ceae exclaimed.  
>Keia ignored him. "Not with him around? How about if we go off somewhere, <em>alone<em>, for a little bit?"

"You lead," I said.

Ceae looked up from where he was sitting. "Wait! What if something happens to me?"

I looked at him. "Nothing will happen… Vegance is nearby. She'll take care of you." I turned back to Keia and stood up. I took her hand and helped her up. She smiled at me and led the way.

Keia and I arrived at a pile of rocks fairly far from the campsite about five minutes later. I looked back at our campsite; from here, the fire was only a pinpoint of light. Keia climbed up onto one of the rocks and motioned for me to sit down next to her. I came over and sat with her.

"So… Payment? What are you asking?" Keia asked me. I shook my head. "Look, we walked all the way out here to talk… You _have_ to have some sort of idea…"

"I do, but I'd rather keep it to myself. I think you should decide how to pay me back yourself," I said. She leaned a little closer to me and put her hand on my leg.

"Cryos… You know you can't hide anything from me." She was staring into my eyes. "I know _exactly_ what you want…"

"You do?" I asked in shock.

"Of course! I've been friends with you forever… I know when you're acting strangely, and I know your feelings for me."

"Y-you do?" I was only a little bit creeped out. For the first time, I looked up to see her face; she was smiling.

"It's not everyday that royalty falls in love with commoners… I am deeply honored."

"What are you talking about? Love? I don't know what you're talking about!" I lied.

"Cryos… I see it in your eyes." Keia leaned in closer to me and put her forehead against mine. "You want me to decide how to repay you? I'll give you what you want…" She moved even closer, and her lips came in contact with mine. After a deep kiss, I could hardly stop the thoughts running through my head.

"You… You really didn't have to do that…" I said.

She smiled. "It's okay… I like you too." Keia dropped down off the rock and started to walk back to the campfire. I was still a bit stunned. When a minute had passed, I ran to catch up with her.

"Keia, wait!" She turned around and watched as I approached her. "Keia… You're right. It's not often that royalty falls in love with commoners… That makes us a rare case. I think… I think we should both live through this journey. That way… We can be happy together."

"My thoughts exactly." Her and I walked the rest of the way back to our campsite together.

When we arrived, Ceae was chattering away to Vegance. Vegance seemed to enjoy his company. Both of them looked up at Keia and I as we approached.

"You two… Walking together? When I came back, you both were gone. Ceae said that you both went off together… Have fun smooching?" Vegance asked.

I laughed and Keia blushed. "No, no… We just had to talk about something. It was nothing, really," I explained.

"Right," Vegance replied. "Well, let's get some sleep. It's still quite awhile to the FoxWoods."

"I could use some sleep… Rest my mind a little," I said. I looked to Keia. She nodded and picked a favorable spot on the ground.

"We should be at the FoxWoods by noon tomorrow," Vegance said. I laid down and let myself drift to sleep…

In the morning, our fire had dwindled to just a few glowing embers. I was the first awake, but I was also the first to see that something was wrong. The air around us was covered in thick fog. I could feel surrounding eyes glowing at me. I moved slowly over to Keia and shook her awake.

"Err… Cryos, what's wrong? I was sleeping so well…"

"Keia, get up… Something's not right," I said. She sat up a bit and blinked a couple of times. She took a quick look around.

"You're right. Something is definitely wrong…" I moved to Ceae and Vegance and woke them both too. Vegance immediately knew something was wrong. She grabbed her daggers and rose to her feet. Ceae remained where he was, but when I turned to Keia, she was already up and ready. I drew my sword. When we appeared more threatening, I could hear footsteps moving closer, but in such a way that I knew we were up against four-legged beasts. A pair of glowing eyes made themselves visible as one of the beasts walked through the fog. The rest of its body followed behind the eyes.

"Keia, this is a wolf?" I asked.

"Yeah. I think it's funny how wolves are _everywhere_…"

"This shouldn't be so hard then." I turned to look at Ceae, who was still lying on the ground. "Ceae, get up!" I shouted. Ceae jolted and pulled out his shortsword. He jumped up onto his feet in an instant.

"I'm' up! I'm up!" Ceae shouted. The noise caught the wolf's attention. The wolf jumped up over us all in an attempt to get to Ceae. In a panic, Ceae dropped his sword and thrust his arms forward. Just before the wolf landed on the ground in front of Ceae, a spout of water shot up from the ground. The wolf was blasted up into the air, where Keia shot an arrow into its neck.

"Ceae, did you just… I thought you said you weren't skilled?" I asked.

"I can never use it when I _want_ to… Only in a panic."

"You did good." I patted him on the shoulder. Three more wolves emerged from the fog. Vegance was quick to act. She ran to the first of the wolves and stabbed one dagger through its neck. She twisted and threw the wolf into the air. She leapt up to meet the wolf halfway and with the other dagger, sliced its head from its shoulders. By now, the other two wolves sped up their advance towards us. When Vegance hit the ground, she threw her daggers to the ground and morphed into a large, black, cat-like creature. She tackled one of the wolves to the ground and clawed its face to pieces and ripped out its throat. She turned around, her eyes filled with a frightening bloodlust. The last wolf was upon us now. I raised my sword into the air in preparation for its attack; just before I swung at the wolf, a bolt of lightning struck it from above! My sword struck the ground right through the ashes of the wolf.

"Well, that was satisfying," Vegance said and picked up her daggers from the ground. Ceae, Keia, and I were all staring at Vegance. "What?"

"That was amazing… For someone who hasn't fought in years, you sure are amazing," I said.

"Believe me, I'm far from lacking skill…" Vegance smiled at me. She turned around suddenly as a much larger wolf flew from the air and landed on her, pinning her down. As she struggled to get free, my first reaction was to run up to attack the wolf. I thrust my sword into its side. It turned its head to face me and knocked me away with its paw. Keia was shooting arrows quickly into its head. This was not enough to stop it, however, as it leapt off of Vegance and dashed toward Keia.

"Keia!" I shouted. I hurried to stand and started running towards her. When the wolf leapt into the air, I watched it get surrounded by a ball of energy. I turned to look at Vegance. She had rolled over onto her stomach and her hand was sticking straight out in front of her. She was deeply concentrating. I looked back to the energy barrier; when it cleared, the wolf was now a pile of ashes, just like the last one.

"Impressive," I mumbled. I helped Vegance to her feet and went to join the others. "So. Some day so far, huh?"

"Yeah," Keia said.

"No time to talk… We need to get to the FoxWoods," Vegance said. We grabbed our stuff and continued to travel.

Vegance was right. When the sun was high in the center of the sky, I could clearly see a wall of green rapidly approaching. As we got closer and closer to the treeline, I had to look up to see the treetops.

"Wow… I thought the city gates were huge," Ceae said.

"They were nothing compared to this… I've never seen so much green, _so_ close either," Keia said. I merely stared.

"These are the FoxWoods… Rona's presence grows strong," Vegance said.

"When we're all ready, we enter the Woods," I said.

"I'm' ready," Keia said and leaned a little closer to me. Ceae smiled and nodded.

"Then I guess I'll lead," Vegance said. She led the way, and the rest of us followed. Upon entry into the FoxWoods, I could feel a very powerful surge of magic all around me.


	11. The FoxWoods

"We need to be careful," Keia said. "I've read about the FoxWoods… Here, the plant-life produces its own illusions to lure us away from the fox spirits… It's a sort of self-defense to protect its inhabitants. It won't be easy to find the fox spirits' dwellings."

I nodded. Vegance held up Rona's faceplate once again. "If it's Rona we seek, maybe the Woods will be kind to us," she said. When Vegance held up the faceplate, however, I felt a strange feeling inside my head. Suddenly, a burst of pain shot through my head. I threw my hands to my head and screamed. I dropped to my knees.

'You who seeks my help… I know why you are here… I know who you are… I've known you before you even came to be. If you want my help, call to me,' a voice said inside my head. I struggled to get up, but only stumbled and fell back down. The pain… So much… I could hear Keia calling my name as I fell to the ground… The last thing I remember, I looked up at her, her eyes full of worry… And then nothing.

When I opened my eyes again, I had not moved a bit. I sat up and looked around. Ceae, Keia, and Vegance were nowhere to be seen. Had they gone off without me? I struggled to my feet and fought to maintain balance. Grabbing a nearby tree, I looked around again. I had no idea what time it was; the trees blocked out the sun here. I continued to search around… My vision was fuzzy. As things became clearer, I could make out a couple of glowing red dots from behind a nearby cluster of bushes. I had nowhere else to go, so I drew my sword and approached the dots.

I was fairly close to the dots now… I reached out my hand and grabbed at them. They disappeared in an instant! From behind the bushes, a black figure leapt at me with a sword in hand. I raised my sword to block his. The shock of the blow knocked me backwards. I fell to the ground, but quickly got back up. Already, the black figure was in my face again. I raised my sword up again, and our swords locked in front of us. The figure leaned in so I could see its face better: his eyes shined blood red, and what I thought was black skin was actually black fur. It was tall and had long antennae-like ears coming from an elongated head. Its arms were ended by long claws, and I could clearly see a bushy tail waving behind it. Then, it spoke to me.

"I know why you're here." The voice was somewhat deep and sounded much like a guy's.

"You talk?" I asked.

"Of course… It's not like I can't… I know why you're here… You seek my help," he said.

"You're Rona?"

"Not exactly. What you see is only a dream… But, you must prove to me that you are worthy. Show me that you deserve my help…"

"How so?" I was knocked backwards as Rona pulled his blade away and jumped away from me.

"Fight me. Show me that your heart is pure," Rona said.

"You know you're stronger than me… You'll murder me!" I pleaded.

"You can't die in a dream…" Rona raised his sword. "Fight me," he repeated. I could feel his glare burning a hole through me.

"If it's the only way, so be it." I raised my sword up. I thought I saw Rona smile before charging me. He delivered the first three strikes in succession with such speed! I was amazed that I could block them… He backed up a bit. Then, I tried to attack. My sword whistled through the air. When I finished, I noticed that Rona had disappeared. "Rona?" I felt a blow to the back of my head. I fell forward and rolled back onto my feet.

"Watch your back," Rona taunted. I turned around and swung at him again. Again, he disappeared. He knocked me in the back with the hilt of his sword. I stopped to catch my breath. I turned around and raised my sword quickly to block two more blows from Rona. He leapt back quickly. "Let's see how you do without your weapon…" Rona stuck out his hand.

"Hey!" I felt my sword get ripped from my hand. It flew behind me and stuck itself into a tree.

"Show me some magic," Rona said. I held out my hand and launched a chunk of ice at him. He split it in two while running at me. Just before he got to me, I put up my ice wall. He ran right into it. Rona stumbled backwards and shook his head. He looked back at me and slashed through the wall as though it were nothing! I saw him leap into the air and disappear. I was tripped from behind and Rona held his sword to my throat while I was on the ground. His eyes stopped glowing, revealing a pair of blood red eyes.

"No matter how many times I come at you… You keep fighting. I feel your fighting spirit… You keep fighting for what is right… I see you have potential," Rona said. He picked up his sword and started to walk away.

"Rona, wait!" I shouted.

Rona turned back around. "I feel you are worthy… Seek me out in the Woods ahead. I'll be waiting…" He continued to leave. I saw him disappear into the foliage.

"Rona!" Everything started to fade…

"Cryos? Cryos!" I started to come to. I could hear Keia screaming my name. She was trying to shake me awake. "Cryos… Please…"

"Huh?" I opened my eyes. "Err…" I put my hand on my head and started to sit up. "Keia, what happened?"

"I don't know! You just suddenly fell over! I heard you mumble some weird stuff… Are you alright?"

"I just had the most realistic dream ever… Rona was there."

Vegance gasped. "You did? Where is he? What does he look like?"

"I don't know _where_ he is… I just know what he looks like. He's tall, muscular… Black fur, blood red eyes… An elongated snout with these strange ears," I explained while putting my hands on my head. "And a big, bushy tail."

"Well, that sounds like any fox spirit," Keia said.

"Believe me, I'll know him when I see him… He beat the crap outta me in my dream… It was amazing. I, uh, think he said he'd be waiting for me…"

"'Beat the crap out of you?' Cryos, that's bad… Something tells me he's prepared," Keia said.

"Yeah? Well, he knows my intentions are pure… We'll find him." I got up and looked around. "The Woods should lead us… Let's just walk." I took the lead, followed by Vegance, Ceae, and Keia.


	12. Rona

"If this forest weren't so dark, I'd imagine that the trees would be _so_ pretty," Keia said.

"We're really not here to sight-see," I mumbled. Keia put her hand on my shoulder and spun me around.

"I can sight-see if I want to! It's not like I can do much more while we're walking in the dark," Keia lectured to me.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean it like that," I said. "Can we just keep walking, please?"

"Whatever."

"Does anyone else hear music?" Ceae asked. I gave him a look, but then realized that he was right. I could hear a rhythmic thumping sound coming from nearby in the trees.

"It sounds like a fast heartbeat," Vegance said.

"I think we're supposed to follow it," I said. I started to walk again. As we got closer to the thumping sound, it got louder and louder until more sounds could be heard to go with it. Then, I heard words, lyrics perhaps.

When we were right on the music, the light from fire could be seen in a clearing. The music was _very_ loud.

"Dance music?" Keia asked.

"Yeah, apparently so," I said. We took cover behind some nearby trees. I looked into the clearing. Several fox-like creatures were dancing around a well-lit grotto.

"Fox spirits," Vegance told us. "I guess we've made it."

"Fox spirits sure know how to throw a party!" Ceae exclaimed. I continued to watch their dancing, all the while keeping an eye out for Rona. I could find no sign of him. When the song was over, the fox spirits all clapped and cheered. I could see that there were slightly fewer males than females. One of the males, the largest of them all, stood up and held his hand out. The others stopped clapping.

"We will have another song… And tonight's special dancer is Alea!" he said and sat back down. One of the females smiled and threw her arms into the air.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Alea said. The music started up again.

"So, dance music?" I asked Keia.

"Actually, this is 'Rave…' It's more for parties. Fox spirits invented this stuff… I just didn't think that they actually threw parties," she replied. I looked up at the tree I was standing behind. There was a large speaker made of wood and vines that was pumping out loud bass sounds.

"Their speakers are made of wood… How is that possible?" I asked.

"Fox spirits do not know technology… They became one with Nature, and are very powerful magic users. Magic runs their music," Keia explained.

"That's pretty cool." In the midst of their dancing, I decided that I would step out to join them. As I entered the clearing, many of the fox spirits stopped dancing and stared at me.

"Cryos! What are you doing?" Keia shouted. She ran out and grabbed my arm. She tried to pull me back. More fox spirits started to stare at us. Ceae and Vegance knew that our cover was blown, so they stepped out to join us. Now, all of the fox spirits had stopped and were watching us. Their leader looked down at us.

"Stop the music!" he shouted. The speakers shut off and everything fell silent. Their leader stood up. "Well… Humans, in the FoxWoods… We don't get visitors much, and there's a reason for that."

"We're sorry, sir, but…" I bowed down. "I am Prince Cryos, prince of Draconia… I am sorry for intruding on your, er, party."

"It was merely a celebration. Today's my daughter's birthday," he said. All of the other fox spirits started cheering and clapping, until their leader held up his hand. "Prince Cryos… By showing up here today, you have dishonored a sacred vow made between humanity and we fox spirits."

"I have? I had no clue…"

"Yes. Since the beginning of time, fox spirits and Humans have been two very different species. Humans wanted control over everything… We believed in sharing the land. Humans could not agree… So they made us a deal. We are to reside here, in these Woods so close to the Dark Lands… And the Humans get everything else. Fearing extinction, we agreed. We have shut ourselves out of all outside matters, choosing a peaceful existence over none. All because of your ancestors…"

"Oh… I never knew…"

"_That's_ why the Woods are so unkind to passersby. We made ourselves safe from intruders by magicking our home…"

"Sir, may I interject?" I asked. The alpha fox motioned for me to speak. "That was many thousands, maybe millions of years ago… There _are_ fox spirits living in the CentraCity… Not very many of them, but there's got to be a good reason why they're there…"

"Now that I think of it… He's right, Daddy." The fox spirit named Alea walked up next to me and smiled at me quickly. "Daddy, I've asked more than once to leave the Woods… Living here in the Woods, year after year, gets kinda boring after a while… Why can't I?" she asked.

"Because… Those who leave never return! They're traitors to our kind! Here, we are safe…"

"But, why don't they come back? I believe they have no need to come back… The Humans share their land with them, right Cryos?"

I nodded. "Nowadays, Humans view fox spirits as beings of beauty, power, mystery… We don't hate you… We want to know more about you…"

"This kind of heresy will not be tolerated! I raised you better than that, Alea…"

"Daddy… These Humans _must_ need our help for something… They have to be pure of heart; otherwise, the Woods would not have let them through!" Alea shouted. The surrounding fox spirits in the clearing began murmuring and whispering.

"Silence!" their leader yelled. Everyone became quiet. "If that's the case… Prove to us that you're here for help. What is it that you need?"

"We came for Rona," I stated. Several gasps were heard around us, and the murmuring started up again.

The alpha fox wore an expression of fear. "Did you say, 'Rona?'"

"Yes. We come seeking the fox spirit named Rona. We need his help defeating a great evil…" I looked at Alea, who was staring at me. "If we don't do something about Necril soon… Well, our time is limited. We won't just stop at conquering _our_ kingdom… He'll take the FoxWoods too. Rona is really the only one we can turn to now."

"Rona…prefers not to be bothered," their leader said. "I… I can't let you see him."

"Now, wait just a minute!" Vegance spoke up. "We came all this way seeking his help. If you want proof, I've got proof." Vegance held up Rona's faceplate.

The alpha fox took one glance before his eyes widened. "Rona's faceplate… It is no wonder you found your way here… If you want to see him… So be it. Alea…" He focused on the fox spirit standing beside me. "Lead them."

Alea nodded. "Please, come with me," she said and motioned for me and my group to follow. She walked off into the Woods, followed by me, Vegance, Keia, and Ceae.

"So, how exactly do you know Rona?" Vegance asked Alea as we were walking.

"Well… I was the one who found him in the Woods," Alea replied. "I was out gathering berries one day… One of my least favorite chores… When I noticed a black-furred body among some nearby undergrowth. I hurried to help him out, but he was unconscious. He looked to be in pretty bad shape… So, I helped him up and carried him home. My father walked in while I was cleaning him up… He tried to send him out and yelled at me for bringing an 'outsider' into his home… Rona looked like a fox spirit, though. I kept him around anyways.

"When Rona woke up, my face was the first he saw. He asked where he was, and questioned if he had been taken prisoner by Necril… My blank stare answered his question easily, but I told him not to worry… He was safe. I nursed him back to full health and said he could leave if he wanted to. He actually asked for a place to stay here. I told him to go ahead, and if Daddy bothered him… I'd take care of it. Rona made himself a place far enough away from our civilization… He's been here ever since, but he keeps to himself a lot. Daddy seems frightened of him."

"Hmm…" Vegance did not say anymore.

"You know Rona too?" Alea asked.

"Well, I… No… I don't know him," Vegance lied. I gave her a look, but she glanced back as though to keep her past life a secret. I nodded.

"Actually, we've heard all of the storied about him, but had no idea where he went after betraying Necril. You know his story, right?" I asked.

"Yeah… He opened up enough to tell me once, but disappeared after that… I haven't seen him much since," Alea said and sighed.

"The only reason we showed up here was because his faceplate traced Rona's magic here… It's almost as though Rona's faceplate longs for its master," Keia said.

Alea stopped walking. "This is as far as I can take you… Daddy will be mad if I go further."

"We may need you, Alea… Something tells me that Rona will not be easy to persuade… You know him better than I do," I said.

"But…" Alea looked back the way we had come. She turned back and smiled. "Oh well. I guess I can take you to his place."

"We'll repay the favor," Keia said and smiled at Alea. "Promise!" Alead continued leading us.

We came upon a fairly dark portion of the Woods. The trees here were cluttered close together in a way that the branches and leaves almost made it impossible to go anywhere or see anything. Alea stopped and pointed through the branches. I looked to where she was pointing, but all I saw was a large object that looked like a moss-covered rock surrounded on three sides by trees.

"Are you sure that's it?" I asked.

"Rona doesn't like company much… He cast an illusion over him home to deter anyone who doesn't know exactly what it is," Alea explained.

"Besides… It has to be the place," Vegance said. "Rona's faceplate is vibrating out of control." Alea took us up to the "rock" and held up her hand. The illusion quickly faded, revealing a house made of wood and vines. Light poured out from the only window, however, I could not see inside. Alea knocked three times on the door. A few seconds later, there was still no response.

"Rona, it's me… Alea. Can you please open the door?" I heard quiet footsteps inside that came to a half at the door. Then, there was a voice.

"You brought others… Make them leave, and then I'll open this door…" The voice was dark and menacing.

"Rona, these people mean no harm… They seek your help."

"I refuse… Today, I only help myself…"

"Rona? It's been a while… I found something of yours," Vegance said and held up the faceplate.

"I know that voice… Vegance, you can't bring me back! You know why I quit being evil…"

Alea looked to Vegance in confusion. "You're evil? Cryos, I thought you said you all were here for good?"

"We are! Vegance _used_ to be evil… She's not anymore…"

"Rona… I've changed too… We're here because we need your help… Necril's working to conquer Draconia… You know his Keep better than me… We need your strength, Rona…" Vegance pleaded. There was a long silence, and then the door opened. Rona was taller than the rest of us. He was covered in black fur and his eyes were blood red in color. The tips of his ears, his stomach, his hands and feet, and the tip of his tail were all silver.

"Vegance… It's been well over twenty years… I never thought you could change," Rona said.

"I have… You were my leader. When you changed… So did I. Life has been lonely without you…" Vegance said.

"And you have company… Alea…"

"It's been a while between us too, Rona… You've entirely shut yourself out of our company… Do you know how many parties you've missed?" Alea asked.

"I'm not the party type."

"Well… Yeah, I figured as much."

Rona turned his attention to me. "I know you… You're the one of pure heart that I faced earlier… You need training."

I, uh… That wasn't a dream?" I asked.

"It was a test… Your lack of skill proved that you're not threat to me… But your lack of combat showed me that you have no intention of harm."

"I guess I'll treat that as a compliment," I mumbled.

"Prince Cryos… I apologize for the harm I caused many years ago… I should've killed Necril when I had the chance."

"Huh?"

"Alea told you the rest of the story… But before she found me in the Woods, I had actually gone back to the Keep, as a chance to kill Necril… I cut down most of the Darklings on the way… I had my blade to his throat, but something stopped me… I just left… Then, I woke up with Alea… That's all I remember."

"Something stopped you?" I asked. "You mean, you had a chance to end this, to prevent innocent lives from being taken, and you let him live? What could've possibly stopped you?"

"A voice," Rona mumbled. I blinked in confusion. "Look… Everyone just come inside… I hate guests, but it'll be better that way." Rona backed up and disappeared into a room in the back of the house. Ceae, Keia, Vegance, Alea, and I all crowded into the house. I shut the door behind us. Alea proceeded to sit down in a nearby chair; Vegance moved to the corner and leaned against the wall. Keia and Ceae both sat on the floor. I remained standing, now that the room seemed less crowded. Rona's house was a bit odd. From the door, I took a look around: there were chairs and a table in the middle of a somewhat small living room. Along the right-side wall were random pictures of ferocious-looking monsters, all drawn by hand. The left wall also held random drawings, but of nature and other interesting subjects instead. Along the right wall, there was a door, seeming sealed shut: this was the door Rona had just gone through. Near the door was a circular opening with a window through which light shined. How could light shine through a window in a dark forest? On the back wall was a glass display case containing an evil-looking katana. Perhaps this was Rona's katana?

Vegance stood against the back wall, Rona's mask still in hand. I could see that she too was watching the katana. Everyone's gaze shifted instantly as the side door swung open. Rona came out carrying a large black book.

"This is a book of my memories... Everything I could remember since my creation." Rona sprawled the book out on the table and opened it. The first few pages were written in scribbled Draconian. The rest of the pages seemed neater. "My handwriting has since changed since my days of evil... I used to keep journal in between 'assignments.'"

"The writing dates back twenty-three years," I pointed out while looking at the book.

"I took this book with me everywhere once I quit the Darklings. I retrieved it on my conquest back to deal with Necril."

"So, what caused you to change your mind?" Keia asked. "You know, when you could've killed Necril?"

"A voice..." Rona sat down in a nearby chair. "I had my blade to Necril's throat... I was so close, but a voice spoke within my head. 'Lay down your sword,' it said. 'Violence is only the path to darkness... Revenge is just as much corrupt. He will get his just desserts... Walk away.' I listened to the voice. I gave Necril one last look and disappeared... I woke up here."

"Rysta?" I asked.

"Not Rysta... It was a male voice... Non-feminine."

"Hmm..." I folded my arms. "Sorry to say, but we need your help, violence or not."

"Yes... Well, I've been practicing for years with hopes of someday ending Necril's reign of terror. That voice was right then... But today, I have others to back me up."

"We need a guide to take us to Necril's Keep," Vegance said and pushed off the wall. She began to circle around us. "We need someone who knows Necril better than anyone else."

"I'll help," Rona said.

"Really?" Keia asked.

"I've been waiting for this day..." Rona held out his hand. His display case opened, and his katana came to his hand. He laid it in his lap. "It's been many years since I've actually used this sword... I almost miss it." Rona stood up. He turned to face Alea. "Will you be joining us?"

"I can help out until the end of the FoxWoods... I'm not supposed to leave," Alea explained.

"Your assistance will be welcome until we've left the Woods... Thank you for leading us to Rona," I told Alea. She nodded. "Rona... I have no doubt how skillful you are. Welcome to the group."

"I have some things to do... Make yourselves comfortable. We rest here tonight, and tomorrow, we make haste," Rona said. He again disappeared into the back room.

"I call this spot!" Ceae shouted and laid down where he was. Vegance returned to her corner.

Keia looked at me. "Keep me warm tonight?" she mumbled and winked.

"I, uh..." I paused. "Sure." Keia smiled and moved to a side of the room. I moved over and sat next to her. Alea smiled and lay back in her chair. Rona returned not so long later. He now had a sleeve of armor on his left arm. He sat down in his chair, still holding his katana. I continued to watch him until Keia took my hand.

"Our journey seems like its' been so short..." Keia whispered.

"Yeah... Merely weeks have passed, and we're already halfway," I whispered back. "Rona will be useful."

"When this journey is over... I wanna go home... I want to spend more time with you... Just you and me, together... Does it sound good to you?"

I thought for a second. "It doesn't seem so bad... To be honest, I thought about you quite a bit before." I looked at our interlocked hands. "I just never thought you would make the first move..."

"It was a big risk... I was afraid you would see me as too low for you to have feelings for... I was afraid you would have me thrown out of the castle for it..."

"When we get back... You get a promotion. Does 'princess' or 'lady' sound good to you?"

"I can't be 'Princess Keia...' I'm not royalty. 'Lady Keia' _does_ sound good, though... I would be honored."

"We have to survive through this, though. Stay alive, because you have someone to live for now."

"I'm not worried about me... I'm worried about you. I can take care of myself..." Keia laid her head on my shoulder. "Let's just cherish this moment, while it lasts." I looked back at Rona as I heard him stir. He sat up and slid his claws along the edge of his katana, producing a metallic grinding noise.

I looked back at Keia. "I like the sound of that noise," I whispered. "It's gruesome, but oddly satisfying."

"Cryos... That almost sounds evil... Maybe you should sleep." Keia readjusted her head on my shoulder and quickly fell to sleep. I smiled and tilted my head onto hers and fell asleep as well...


	13. On to the Dark Lands

Before I knew it, it was morning. Keia had already gotten up, and it looked like everyone was waiting on me. I stood up and stretched. I looked around the room, and instantly felt an atmosphere of grave silence.

"What's going on? Why does everyone look so serious?" I asked.

"We've been abandoned," Alea said and sighed.

"Huh?" I asked sleepily and yawned. "Abandoned?"

"Rona left without us… I was the first one awake, but Rona was already gone," Alea proceeded to explain.

"Any clue where he may have gone?"

Vegance held up Rona's mask. "I've tried already… Not even the faceplate is responding."

"Great… Just great." I started pacing around the room. "If I were an ex-Darkling leader, and I were just invited to kill my least favorite person in the world… Where would I go?"

"Perhaps he got a head start?" Ceae suggested. He was sitting in the middle of the room. Everyone turned to look at him. "See, if I were persuaded to kill someone in particular… And I were evil… I would go off alone and wait for the others."

There was a long silence. Then, Keia spoke. "I think he's right." Everyone now turned to face her. "Rona's likely to go off and fight… He may have headed off alone, so that means we have to go and find him. Agreed?" Ceae nodded.

Vegance tilted her head to the side. "Agreed." Around the room, everyone else followed suit. Alea mustered a quick smile.

"Agreed," I said. "Alea, can you lead us?"

"We're not far from the edge of the FoxWoods… I can take you that far, but that's it. From there, you guys are on your own," Alea replied.

"Just take us as far as you can." We all gathered our equipment and hurried out of Rona's house. Alea led us, but many of us stumbled over tree roots as we went. Pretty soon, we saw a ray of light shining through the trees.

Keia stopped. "I thought the Dark Lands were right on the border of the FoxWoods?" she asked.

I stopped next to Keia. "What's wrong?"

"There's light… If the Dark Lands were this way, wouldn't there be _no_ light?"

"We'll see." Keia and I continued running until we came to the edge of the Woods. Everyone else had already stopped and were gawking at a large wall of dark clouds.

"There's a small boundary separating the Woods and the Dark Lands," Alea explained. Closer to the cloud-wall was a tall figure.

"Rona!" I went alone over to the figure. Rona had not turned his head, but I knew I had his attention. "Rona… This is it?"

"Yes… Beyond this wall is dangerous territory… I know there is one town, but that's it. Inside the Dark Lands… Darkness will corrupt," Rona said.

"'Darkness will corrupt…' What exactly should we watch out for on the other side?"

"Quite possibly Darklings… Some creatures that have been mutilated by the power of dark ether in the air… Necril's Keep… And I hope your eyes are adjusted to the dark."

"How dark _is_ it?" I asked in curiosity.

"Oddly enough, inside the Dark Lands, you can see a full moon in the sky… So we have some light. But the environment is twisted… Grass grows black, and the only way you can tell that it is actually night is that some patches of grass will light up. As we grow closer to Necril's Keep, his Necromantic powers will be a major concern… Over the years, there is no doubt that his power influenced the surrounding deceased. And one more thing…" Rona turned his head and looked down at me. "Keep an eye out for a white fox… He is the reason I woke up so early."

Keia walked up to us. "A white fox? What exactly happened?"

"I sensed movement," Rona said, "so I opened my eyes. I saw his figure outside of the window. When he saw me, he ran. I hurried out the door to catch him… He led me here and disappeared through the clouds. I couldn't pursue him because I had actually promised to lead you to Necril's Keep… So I let him go. I have a feeling we will run into him."

"Mr. Rona?" Ceae asked as he came to Rona's other side. "This wall is bigger than the gates we have back home…"

"Get used to it, kid. Necril's Keep is definitely bigger," Vegance said as she walked up to us. "You're bound to see some things you never imagined could ever exist… I hope you're ready to fight."

"You know, Ceae, I think it would be better for you if you went back with Alea," I suggested while looking back at Alea. She was still waiting for us to leave.

Ceae looked back and forth between Alea and the cloud wall. "I don't think I'm ready to give up just yet… Lemme see what it's like first, and then I'll think of going back."

"You can't change your mind… Once you're in, you're in. _Now's_ your chance to go back," Keia explained.

Ceae again looked back and forth. He hesitated, and then said, "I'm going."

"Then in we go," Rona said and took the first step forward into the cloud cover. Vegance followed with Ceae. Keia looked to me, shrugged, and went in. I looked back at Alea once more and waved. She waved back, and then I stepped into the clouds.

Inside the cloud cover, it was like walking through fog at night. I drew my sword, just in case, as I fought to the other side. When I came out on the other side, everything appeared as night, and the full moon was shining in the sky. I nearly ran into Keia because she was standing near the cloud wall. Then again, so was everyone else, minus Rona. Rona was further ahead, katana in hand, screaming out into the darkness.

"Show yourself! I'm here! What do you want from me?" Rona shouted.

"What is he doing?" I asked Keia. "We're not there already… I know that much…"

"I don't know what he's doing…" Keia replied. "He's lost his mind…"

"He disappears for nearly twenty years, and he totally goes out of it," Vegance said.

We watched Rona for a while as he checked all around himself and swung his sword through the air. He stopped for a second, and then everything was silent. Rona looked straight ahead, and a white figure appeared in front of him.

"Rysta?" Ceae asked. When the light around the figure dissipated, we could all clearly see that it was not Rysta, but the white fox Rona had spoken about earlier.


	14. Battle Between Light and Dark

The white fox stood perfectly still. His head was tilted down towards the ground and his eyes were shut.

"He looks a lot like Rona," I whispered to Keia. "I mean, his body shape… He's just not the right colors."

"Yeah," Keia replied. The white fox opened his eyes and lifted his head. His eyes only fell upon Rona, and then he smiled.

"Hi Rona! We've never officially met before… My name is—" he began, but Rona interrupted.

"I don't care. I don't know you… I can't trust you."

"Huh?" The white fox tilted his head to the side. "Rona… You know you can trust me… I've been with you all along."

"No you haven't… You only want to cause harm."

"No, Rona… I only want to help. I stand for good, for light… For Rysta."

"Then show me… Show me you tell the truth. Fight me."

"It's always violence with you, isn't it? Violence doesn't solve everything…"

"Show me that you're right." Rona raised up his katana. He looked back at us quickly and said, "Go… Go!" He motioned to get out of the immediate area.

I pointed to a small tower not too far away. "Everyone, let's head to that tower," I said. Keia, Ceae, Vegance, and I ran past Rona and the white fox in the direction of the tower. Before we were there, I could already hear the clanging of steel on steel.

The tower appeared to be black, probably stained so by the atmosphere. It was somewhat lopsided, hinting at the possibility of a buried castle. Along the outside of the tower, there was a flight of stone steps winding up to the top. We all ran up the steps to watch the battle safely from a distance.

"Have you ever seen two fox spirits fight?" Keia asked me.

"No, but you would think Rona would have already won by now… I didn't last very long against him," I replied.

"When did you fight Rona?" Vegance asked.

"In a dream that felt like reality… Rona was left untouched."

Though the battle was so far away, we could see it clearly as though it were day. At this moment, I was unable to hear anything, but it appeared that Rona and the white fox were taking a short break. They slowly circled around one another… And then Rona went for a surprise attack. Rona slid toward White Fox; White Fox was quicker, though, and escaped Rona's attack by flipping over his head. White Fox's counterattack was useless anyways, because his attack met Rona's steel. The two danced around each other for a bit and then broke off to circling one another again.

"They're both good," I mumbled. I saw Rona shake his head quickly. White Fox made a motion with his hand. A blinding light shone out into the darkness and focused into his hand. He thrust his hand forward, producing a trail of light that knocked Rona backwards. Rona slid along the ground a ways and then flipped back onto his feet. Then, what appeared to be a glowing dark energy surrounded Rona. I could clearly see two red pinpoints in the dark: Rona's eyes. In a blur, Rona rushed towards White Fox and let off a barrage of attacks, all of which were met perfectly by White Fox's defensive stance. Rona leapt backwards and began to throw fireballs at lightning speed. White Fox, however, was still left untouched.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Keia whispered to me. "So far, that white fox has the advantage."

"No… Rona's better than that," I replied. Rona and White Fox put some distance between each other. They both sat still for a while. As they stared each other down, the atmosphere of tension rose up as high as our tower. Rona and White Fox both lit up in unison, Rona with his dark aura and White Fox with his aura of light. They both readied their weapons. Another staredown, and then in a split second, Rona and White Fox's swords collided with a deafening echo. I heard a pop as a spark flew into the air. The spark detonated, leaving a large sphere of mixed light and dark energy in its wake. As the sphere grew outwards, the power intensified until it was upon us. There was so much energy, in fact, that we were all knocked backwards off our feet. I stood up and rushed to the wall of the tower. Where Rona and White Fox had been, there was a large crater. My eyes widened at the sight.

"By Rysta, we have to get down there!" I shouted as I helped everyone up.

"Why?" Keia asked and then gasped at the sight that beheld her. Keia was the first to rush down the tower, followed by me and the others.

At the edge of the basin, we looked downwards into the abyss. It was dark and impossible to see how deep it ran. I took my chances anyway. I motioned for everyone to stay behind. I climbed down into the crater and stumbled downwards toward the center. It took a while before the dust settled and I could see down into the bottom. In the center of the crater were Rona and White Fox. Their swords were still interlocked. They were motionless, as though frozen in time.

When I entered the inner ring, both of them drew back their swords and moved apart. White Fox held out his hand toward Rona. "My name is Ryth," he said and smiled. Rona looked down at Ryth's hand and turned away.

"No formalities, Ryth. I'm Rona. What are you here for?" Rona asked.

"We were destined to meet someday… Rysta foretold so. You know me, sorta, from many years ago… As you know, everything in Draconia is meant to remain balanced. When you, Rona, were created, you produced quite a bit of darkness in the world… So Rysta created me to harmonize your chaos. The voice that spoke to you… The one that turned you from evil… That was me. I've been leading you toward the light for many years now," Ryth explained.

"That definitely clears up a bit of our history," I said. "Until now, the force that changed Rona had been unknown… Now, we can confirm that it _was_ indeed the work of Rysta."

"And you are?" Ryth asked.

"Cryos… Prince Cryos Scanzanea, of the Draconian royal family." I put out my hand.

Ryth took my hand and shook it. "Ryth Slove… Er, brother of Rona Slove, sorta… Bringer of Light? Anyways, pleased to meet you." Ryth let go of my hand. "So, shouldn't the prince be up at home, taking care of things there?"

"Actually, by being here, I am still attending to the needs of my people… Mother and Father sent me to deal with Necril."

"Wow. Sounds like it won't be easy… Could you use an extra hand?"

"You?"

"Yeah. That way, you'll have extra strength on your side, _and_ I can keep a more personal eye on Rona."

I thought for a second. "You know what? Come with me. We'll consult the others." Rona looked at me and silently headed off to the others. Ryth and I went up together.

"Damn you two," Vegance said as Ryth and I came up. She was pointing at Ryth and Rona. "You two sure made a mess… That was an amazing battle."

"It's what happens when two opposite but equal forces of Nature collide," Rona said. "You can expect a total mess…"

"So…" I started while facing the group. "Today, we all saw just what Rona could do… And we've met a new friend. I want you all to meet Ryth." Everyone except for Rona looked at Ryth. He smiled shyly.

"Hi Ryth," Keia said.

"You're tall," Ceae mumbled.

"If there is anyone who objects to having Ryth in our group… Speak now," I said. Everyone was silent. "Then it's settled… Ryth, welcome to our group. You know the mission?"

Ryth nodded. "You mentioned Necril… We're going to stop him."

"Yes. Ryth, where's the nearest town?"

"It's still fairly far away… We could be walking for a day or two… But the town's not so great anyways… The people there are strange, and some are even followers of Necril."

"Necromancers," Keia said. "It seems that there were others exiled from the CentraCity… I say we clear the town, when we arrive."

"Less people to assume command once Necril's down," I pointed out. "Good idea."

"That actually wouldn't be a good idea," Rona said. "We'd only draw attention to ourselves… Let's just leave it alone."

"Okay then, scratch the idea of clearing the town," Keia said.

"Well, if we're all done talking… Let's make some action," Rona said.

"Good… We're headed to that town then," I said. "Ryth, you lead." Ryth nodded and took the lead. Our party now consisted of Ryth, Rona, Keia, Vegance, Ceae, and I… Six versus an army, no doubt.


	15. The Journey to a Town of Lawlessness

"Even when I served as Necril's fearless general, I never liked this landscape," Rona said. "It wasn't as bad then as it is now… Darkness has corrupted the landscape more and more over time." The few trees that _were_ around were all twisted into unnatural shapes. Some of them reminded me of the pictures Rona had up in his house. While staring at one of the trees, I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I jerked my head to see what it was, but there was nothing there. Then, I saw movement from the corner of my eye again.

"Cryos, are you alright?" Keia asked. When she stopped moving, so too did the others.

"I-I'm not sure… I thought I saw something move near that tree," I said and pointed at one of the twisted trees.

"It must've been nothing… If there were something there, we'd probably have been attacked by now," Ryth said. "Remember, here, the darkness corrupts… It may be playing tricks on your mind."

"It can't be," I said. "I can tell the difference between reality and illusion, and that was definitely real." I pointed at the tree again. "That tree reminds me of one of Rona's drawings."

Rona looked at the tree. "You know what? I think you're right." As soon as Rona drew his sword, the tree moved. It stretched its twisted limbs toward the sky and revealed a pair of gleaming yellow eyes.

"Rona, what exactly is it?" I asked while drawing my own sword.

"It's a Demon Tree… A normal tree of Dark Land descent corrupted by the power of darkness… Demon Trees were non-existent until Necril built this land," Rona explained.

"What do you mean 'built?'" I asked. "I thought it was always here?"

"I'll explain later. Just watch out: Demon Trees spawn Darklings."

"Huh?" The Demon Tree shook its limbs around through the air. A few spores dropped to the ground and quickly grew into Spawns.

"Take out the spawner first… Deal with the Spawns last," Rona said. He leapt up into the air and over the Darklings. He made a move for the Tree. As he battled back the gnarled limbs of the Tree, Ryth flipped over an approached Spawn and propelled himself forward by kicking off of the Spawn. He landed with a somersault in front of the Tree. The Tree was still preoccupied with Rona, so Ryth took the opportunity to weave around the backside. I could not see what was done, however, because I was suddenly attacked by one of the Spawns. The stinging sensation of its claws tearing a hole into my leg snapped me back into reality. In a single swipe, I knocked the Spawn to the ground and then thrust my sword through its head. The Spawn dissipated before my eyes. I heard a wooden crash nearby. The Demon Tree had fallen to the ground, and as it cried out, all of the surrounding Spawns turned to dust and disappeared into the night.

I sat down on the ground. "You two…sure know how to…work together," I said and groaned.

"Cryos, are you alright?" Ryth asked and approached me.

"Yeah, I… I think I'll be alright." I looked down at my leg, which was bleeding profusely. "Ow… On second thought, this hurts more than it seems."

Ryth examined my leg. "This is a pretty nasty flesh-wound. What happened?"

I looked up at Keia. She wore an expression of concern. I hesitated before telling my embarrassing tale of what really happened. "Well, I was a bit caught up in watching you and Rona, Ryth, and not paying attention… One of the Spawns came up and attacked me when I was zoned out… I'm sorry. I should've been paying attention."

Keia gasped in disbelief. "You can't have possibly let that happen… Did you?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Okay, this may sting a bit," Ryth said. "I don't know how tolerant you are to magic, so this could or could not hurt." Ryth held his hand over my leg. He focused intently on my wound. When his hand began to glow, I felt the pleasant sensation of my skin melding back together.

"Ahh!" I screamed out in pain. "What are you doing to me?"

When Ryth was done, he smiled and said, "You're healed. I told you it might hurt a bit."

"It hurt a _lot_! Is it really healed?" I looked down at my leg. The pain was gone, but the only reminded of it that remained was the slash marks and bloodstains in my pants. I got up and moved my leg around. "Wow… Thanks!"

"Besides light magic, I can also heal," Ryth said. "Any user of light magic can eventually learn healing magic." Ryth turned to glance at Keia.

"Me?" she asked. "But I don't know magic…"

"It is those who have yet to discover themselves who shine the brightest within… Give it some time." Ryth smiled again and went to join the others.

"Don't worry Keia… Your true potential will be seen someday… Just keep travelling with us," I said.

"I never said I wouldn't." Keia gave me a sweet smile and joined the others as well. I bent down and picked up my sword. I sheathed my sword carefully and walked up to everyone else.

"So, Rona, picking up the topic from earlier," I started. "You said the Dark Lands were built?"

"I don't know much about it… I know Necril started the cloud cover from his Keep as a means for some plan," Rona said. "He kept mentioning covering the land in darkness, so that his Darklings could travel anywhere. I'm pretty sure it was so that it would be easier to capture the capitol. However, it seems the process has been sped up."

"Oh… The Dark Lands were his doing… If it's spreading at an increased rate, we had better put this place behind us and get moving," I said and started walking. There were no disagreements, so we continued on our way.

It was hard to tell time in the Dark Lands. There were no shadows other than the constant darkness around us, and the moon in the sky never moved. There were no means for telling time. "Rona, do you have any idea how long we've been travelling?" I asked.

"In the Dark Lands, there is no such thing as 'time.' The world passes… That is all," Rona replied.

"So, how can we tell the time?"

"We don't. There is night, and day… The grass will light up when it becomes night." Almost on queue, the grass around my feet began to glow. I looked around and noticed that the grass was glowing around everyone's feet.

"I thought the whole field would light up?" Keia asked.

"No. The grass responds to heat… It will only light up around us, and other warm-blooded creatures… It won't help us when Darklings attack," Rona explained.

"Will the grass around a town or city light up?" Ceae asked.

"Depends on if the town or city radiates heat," Ryth replied.

"Oh. Well, that'll explain that large light in the distance," Ceae said and pointed towards the horizon. A semi-circular expanse of light was visible.

"That's definitely the town," Rona said. "Right where it was many years ago…"

"How would we be able to tell where anything is out here? There are no landmarks," I said.

Rona turned around to face me. "As a Darkling, you live off of instinct… I know the Dark Lands well." Rona turned back around and walked on ahead.

I looked at Ryth. "He's been like this for awhile… Any idea why?"

"If I had any idea at all… I'd say he doesn't enjoy my presence," Ryth said. "Maybe I'm too much for him?"

"Maybe he's just regretting his past… Or your personality is just too much. You're almost always glowing, a perfect contrast to Rona's evil 'grr' attitude," Keia said.

"Who knows? Maybe he'll get over it," Ryth said. "Just don't let him get off by himself."

"Quick question," I said. "A town in the Dark Lands… You mentioned it would be strange… And filled with Necromancers… There's no one here to keep the peace… What would it be like?"

"Here, there's no such thing as 'law.' Keep close to your sword, and we'll be alright." Without another word, we all ran to catch up to Rona.


	16. The Town of Lawlessness

Before we were even near the only town in the Dark Lands, I could feel that it was not a very great place. We were already starting to see strange shady people standing in the middle of nowhere on the outskirts of the town. Some only stared as we passed by. Others tried to sell us items that were considered illegal in Draconia, such that contained evil magicks. I actually had an encounter with a pale young woman who wore too much eye makeup. As I passed by, she grabbed my arm and pulled me aside.

"Hey there good-lookin'… What are you, a prince or somethin'? Your clothes are awfully fancy…" she said.

"I can't stay around… Please let me go," I pleaded.

"Oh, you said 'please…' How about this… I've been lookin' for a little 'pleasure' for a while now… Decent travelers are rare out here. Satisfy me, and I may let you go." She put her hand on my chest and sighed. I pushed her away and she dropped to the ground.

"I said that I can't stay… Keep searching, woman, and I'll go on my way… Besides, you're not my type." I turned away and hurried to catch up with the others.

"Cryos, what's gotten into you?" Keia asked as I approached.

"What do you mean? She tried to sell herself to me! I have some more important things to take care of," I said.

"Just keep moving," Keia said.

"_This_ is what I like to call 'The Town of Lawlessness,'" Ryth said as we stepped up to the city gates. "I'm not sure if the gates are meant to keep travelers out, or to keep the evil in." As he said that, someone was sent flying over the wooden gates.

"I'd say that it's not so great at keeping people in," I said.

"What is your purpose here?" a voice asked from behind. Rona tried to hide his face. I turned around and noticed a guard; however, he had no skin or muscle. He was a _skeletal_ guard. "You!" he shouted and pointed a sickly spear at me. "I asked, _what_ is your business here?"

"Let me do the talking," Vegance said and stepped in front of me. "We are sick of the unfair treatment provided by the Draconian Kingdom… We seek a new life under Necril's power, perhaps a chance at revenge…"

"Aren't you all? Welcome to our town… It's not much, but it's okay if you hate good," the guard said. "Open the gates!" Two other skeletal guards came from nowhere and pulled the gates open themselves. The first thing that I noticed was the dirtiness of the streets, and then the shabbiness of the buildings, and then the overall gloominess of the town and citizens themselves. Vegance led us all in. The guards closed the gates behind us with a loud creaking sound. All of the townsfolk that loitered near the gate eyed us with suspicion. I waved at one particular man, and my greeting was met with a wet ball of spit.

"I already don't like this place," I said.

"Just think like a villain and you'll do alright," Vegance said. "We'll just spend a night in the most secure inn, and then we leave in the morning."

"If we're still alive," I mumbled. I felt the pressure of many eyes on me, almost as though everyone knew who I was. I wanted to ask where the inn was, but I had a feeling that no one would be kind enough to help me. Instead, Vegance did the asking. She randomly went into an anger fit, as though she were lost or confused, and then grabbed a nearby man by his shirt collar and threw him against the wall. She morphed into a huge black panther and stared him down. When it was obvious he was frightened, she tightened her grip.

"Look," she said. "I'm looking for the inn… Tell me where it is, or I'll tear you in two!"

The man whimpered and pointed down the street. "The inn is called the Black Beauty… Please let me go…"

Vegance dropped the man to the ground and morphed back into her natural form. "Thank you kindly, sir." The man clambered to his feet and ran away quickly. Vegance turned back to us. "See? Easy."

"That was terrifying… And random," I said.

"When you're an ex-villain, you get pretty good at being bad… Just look at Rona." Vegance pointed at Rona, who appeared to be locked up in a verbal argument. "He knows how to have fun here." The man Rona was yelling at pushed him and drew his sword. Rona drew his sword as well. The man swung his sword, which Rona promptly sidestepped. Rona swung around behind the man and pushed him forward, and then he thrust his sword through the man's back. In one motion, Rona pushed his sword down the length of the man's back, spilling his blood (among other things) all over the ground. Rona drew his sword back and put it away. He left the man to die as he joined us.

"Rona, was that necessary?" Ryth asked.

"He started it… I finished it. Do we know where the inn is?" Rona replied.

"Yes, we do," Vegance stated. "I 'obtained' the info, hopefully from a reliable source… People tend to be fairly reliable when their lives are threatened."

"Shouldn't we be moving?" I asked.

"We're going!" Vegance exclaimed and led us once more. Before I followed, I could not help but notice a group of men watching me, pointing, and whispered from an alleyway. I pretended not to notice.

The Black Beauty was nothing majorly extraordinary. It was a two-story building just as shabby as the rest of the town, with a rusty sign hanging just over the doors. The doors, I imagined, looked a lot like the old saloon doors that you would see in pictures of the old Draconian capitol. The sounds of men singing and women screaming in delight could be heard inside.

"Well, ain't this a great place to stay?" Vegance asked.

"You can't expect someplace perfect in a town without law," Rona said. "It will have to do."

"Will we force our way into a room?" Keia asked.

"Ooh! I wanna try!" Ryth shouted. We all turned to stare at Ryth.

"Ryth, _you_ be evil?" Rona said. He actually smiled, the first time I had ever seen him smile. "Ha… That's amusing."

"I've been watching you, Rona… I can do it."

"Well, if you think you can do it… Show us what you can do," Vegance said.

"In that case, you are all my lackeys," Ryth said. He tried not to smile, but failed.

"We're doomed," I whispered to Keia. She nodded in agreement.

Ryth started us off by kicking through the inn doors, and then almost stumbling and falling down on his face. He immediately regained his balance, however. As he looked around, everyone in the room had stopped what they were doing and focused on Ryth. Ryth walked silently up to the counter and gave a somewhat menacing glare at the innkeeper. She looked back at him with a stare that was twice as menacing.

"Are ya looking fer a room, or are ya just another troublemaker?" she asked.

"I'm…" Ryth cleared his throat and deepened his voice a bit. "I'm lookin' for a room, see, and no one in this joint had better mess with me or my lackeys…" He eyed the most fearsome looking men in the corner of the room and scowled at them. "Wouldn't want no one ta get hurt… Would ya?"

The innkeeper laughed. "Yeah, like you could hurt someone… Says the big bad fox who's not even wearin' pants!" She burst out laughing, followed by the rest of the room. When she stopped laughing, so too did everyone else. "How're ya gonna pay?"

"Because I say so… I ain't payin'. I'm takin' the room by force, see?" Ryth declared. The innkeeper stood up from behind her desk. She was tall and clearly twice Ryth's size. Ryth cowered in fear.

Vegance stepped up beside Ryth and patted him on the shoulder. "Here, let _me_ take care of this." She pushed Ryth aside and stared the innkeeper in the eyes. "You'll have to excuse him… He thinks he's bad, but he's pretty damn useless sometimes."

"Hey!" Ryth shouted. Vegance turned around and winked at us.

"Wait… I know your voice… Vegance? Is that you?" the innkeeper asked.

"Huh? Sahra? Is that you?" Vegance asked in response. She smiled. "My, you've put on some weight… How many years has it been?"

The innkeeper sat back down. "It's been quite a few… Since you and Rona left, this town's turned pretty ugly."

"And to think, I was gonna have to knock ya out," Vegance said with a smile. "Rona's here too." Rona, who had been hiding his face this whole time, unveiled himself.

"Ah, Rona, you've been gone awhile… How've ya been?"

"I've been undisturbed for a while… Suddenly, I'm dragged back out into the world again. Are we getting a room, or not?"

"Sure thing! Y'all can have our master suite, big enough for six, on the house… And I promise ya, ain't no one gonna bother y'all 'less they get through me."

"Thank you kindly," Vegance said. "C'mon 'lackeys…' We're going to sleep well tonight." She started up the stairs, followed by Rona, Keia, and Ryth. Ceae looked at me once before following. I could not shake the feeling that someone in this room had been eyeing me since the moment I walked in… I went upstairs without another thought.

I was sleeping well until I was rudely awakened. I looked around aimlessly to try and determine who had woken me up, but all I saw were unfamiliar faces. When one of them realized I was awake, he hit me in the stomach. I was devoid of air, so I could not scream. My hands had already been tied, and as I gasped for air, one of the larger of them shoved something in my mouth and dragged me onto the floor. I tried to struggle free, but a sharp blow to my head knocked out all feeling I had left. I was still conscious, however, and I could hear what was going on. No one came to my rescue… I could not determine why. I was dragged down the inn stairs and out into the street. When my vision returned, I noticed that I was being dragged by my feet. Three men in dark cloaks took up the lead, and two men carrying toothed blades were following behind. I heard someone shouting orders to the men who dragged me. I tried to struggle again, but I was unable to move anything below my neck. I still could not cry for help. The streets were oddly empty… I was dragged into an empty apartment building and taken upstairs. Two men standing guard opened a door, and I was set up in a chair. My hands were untied and the gag was removed.

"Stay here, and don't move!" one of the men demanded and then started to laugh. As though I really _could_ move… I sat motionless for awhile. The room was pitch black except for a pair of glowing white eyes that must have belonged to two extremely tall figures. I heard the door open behind me, and then a small light in the middle of the room came on. I could partially make out the two tall figures in the room. Both were glaring at me: one wore armor with demonic spikes, and the other wore much less. Both had an aura of mixed darkness, lightning, and fire. From one glance, anyone could tell that they were heavily muscled. A man stepped up between the two creatures and smiled at me.

"Welcome, Cryos… You're free to move, but if you try to escape, my Nightmares here will evaporate you," the man said and pointed to the two tall figures beside him. He snapped his fingers and I felt my muscles relax. "Please, make yourself at home… Get up, walk around, stretch your legs a bit…"

"Your 'Nightmares' won't jump on me?" I asked while clutching the arms of the chair.

"No, no… Not unless you start for the door," the man said. I stood up and walked around the room while still staring at the Nightmares. I stretched and yawned.

"So… Who are you, and what is _so_ important that you had to have me dragged from my bed and down the street in the middle of the night?" I asked.

"My name is Dave, and I needed to speak to you about something," the man said.

"Dave? That's not a Draconian name… It almost sounds simple."

"I blame my parents… I was adopted." Dave stepped forward and stuck out his hand. I looked down at his hand. "Go on, take it… A handshake is considered a formal greeting where I'm from." I took his hand and he shook mine.

"For a guy who seems to want me dead, you seem so polite…"

"It's because I need you. I can't have you killed just yet…" Dave let go of my hand. "At least hear what I have to say."

"Go on… I'm listening."

"I know what you're trying to do, Prince. My men in your castle have reported everything to me… You're out searching for Necril here, aren't you?"

I nodded. "You have people in the castle spying on me?"

"Well, more like Shadows… They keep watching from some of the least likely of places."

"'Shadows?' Are they Darklings?"

"A fairly new breed. They've been tracking you all along… In a way, they brought you upon Vegance."

"I was led?"

"Stop interrupting!" Dave shouted. He took a deep breath. "Lemme finish." Dave cleared his throat. "I've known the whereabouts of Vegance all along… After all, I created her." He paused to allow me reaction time. I only stared blankly. "Anyways, I know what you're thinking… Yes. I am Necril's brother, the very same that had the 'Create-a-Darkling' contest… I never really liked Necril. He always tries to outdo me… He would've had it with Rona, had he not given him a heart."

"Rona was given a heart… And he turned on him."

"Yes! And now, he travels with you. The very opposite he was intended to do, for sure… I'm willing to offer you something."

"Offer? You're evil! I refuse to side with evil…"

"I'll offer anyways… I want you to find out the truth behind Necril… I can't just tell you, because it'll ruin the surprise. I want you to get in there and discover the truth, about Necril, about Draconia, everything… Information is power, Cryos, so you can have it all if you're just willing to join forces with me…"

"I'll never do such a thing…"

"Oh, but you'll see… Less people will die this way."

"Lies! I'll not do such a thing… I'm leaving." I started for the door, despite the sound of the Nightmares growling at me. I heard Dave order them to stand down.

"Don't worry Cryos! You'll discover the truth, one way or another! It's part of your Destiny!" Dave shouted as I stormed out of the room. I headed down into the streets almost ran into Keia.

"Cryos!" Keia shouted at me and hugged me. "You had me worried… What happened?"

"I was kidnapped… Spoken to by Necril's brother," I said.

"Necril's brother? The one that created Vegance?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to join with him and help him defeat Necril…"

"What an odd request… Is he evil?"

"Definitely… He's even invented new breeds of Darklings. I don't know why he wants me to help him kill his brother."

"'Darkness corrupts' is what Rona said… Darkness has made him hungry for power, no doubt…" Keia looked off to the side. "Just come back to bed. We'll tell Vegance in the morning before heading off to Necril's Keep."

"Okay… I need my sleep anyways." I took Keia's hand and we walked back to the inn together. We headed back up to our room and fell asleep quickly.

"So explain it again… What happened, from the start?"

"Cryos was kidnapped last night, and had a conversation with Necril's brother." I woke up to the sounds of voices, particularly Keia's and Vegance's. When I lifted my head, Vegance came over to my bedside.

"Is this true?" Vegance asked.

"Huh?" I blinked at her sleepily.

"Is it true that you were kidnapped last night?"

"Uh… It feels like a dream, but it must have been real… Yeah. His name was Dave… He wanted me to join him in killing Necril."

"Killing Necril? That's our job," Ryth said. "Why would he do the same?"

"Dave's always been a bit strange, and even jealous of his brother," Vegance explained. "Maybe he knows something we don't?"

"Well, he kept telling me that I'll find out the truth… And less people would die if I joined him."

"That doesn't make sense, though," Keia said. "If 'Dave' is evil, killing Necril will make room for him."

"How about we just kill him now?" I asked.

"No," Vegance said. We all turned to face her. "We deal with Necril now, Dave later. If Necril's working on a second Rona, perhaps without a heart… He'll have a loyal and impossible to defeat minion… Dave was never as good as Necril."

"Then we stick to the original mission?" Ryth asked.

"No choice… We take out Necril, and all others following him should fall as well. We head to Necril's Keep as soon as possible."

"We're ready for travel," Rona said. "We move _now_."

"I was thinking the same thing… I want out of this town," I said. We all gathered our belongings and hurried out of the inn. We followed the street to the other end of the town and out through the gate. It was strange because the back gate had no guards. It also had much fewer people. Once again, we were out in the darkness searching for Necril's Keep. Rona, however, seemed very anxious to get there. He led us at a rapid pace.


	17. Six Elemental Keys

"There." Rona stopped walking and pointed out at the horizon. I could clearly make out a dark tower. The sky behind the Keep seemed to give it a red aura.

"It definitely looks like something an evil mastermind would reside in," I said. "This is definitely it?"

"I'd recognize it, even if it were in the Plains of Happiness and Sunshine and Rainbows… Yeah, it's definitely it," Rona retorted.

I looked to try and see the top of the Keep, but was unable to. The cloud cover from the Dark Lands seemed to cover it up. Actually, it appeared that the cloud cover was coming from the peak, spreading outward over the land. "Something tells me that the cloud cover is being made from the top of the Keep. At the rate at which the clouds are moving, I'd say that the cloud cover is spreading and covering Draconia!" I pointed out.

"That has to be stopped," Keia said.

"That's why we need to hurry," Rona said. "Let's get this over with."

"Yeah! Evil can't take our land from us!" Ryth shouted. Everyone turned and stared at him. "What? I'm trying to get everyone pumped for the big battle ahead!"

"Just move," Rona said and started to run. We all ran after him, trying to keep up.

Standing right in front of Necril's Keep definitely sent out an ominous feeling and produced a shiver down my spine. The main entrance itself had to have been over fifty feet high, high enough to put a sore in your neck when looking up at it. Two equally tall obsidian statues stood guard beside the overly large door. The statues appeared to be headless, but there seemed to be eyes jutting from the rounded top of their torsos. Each held a sword almost as tall as them, firmly planted into the ground.

"These weren't here before," Rona said. "They're new, compared to the rest of the Keep."

"So, he's still working on it?" I asked.

"No doubt about it… When I was here, the only major defense was Rona," Vegance said. "These statues are new." I took a step forward, and both statues' eyes began to glow. The "eyes" moved from their sockets, glowing white orbs that focused on me.

"State your business here," a demonic voice proclaimed from one of the statues.

"I, uh… I have some business with Necril," I said.

"You are not a Darkling… Access is not permitted," the other statue said.

"What if…" I turned to Rona. "Rona, you give it a try." Rona stepped forward, and the eyes focused on him.

"Rona Slove… Master Necril said one day you would return."

"Yes… Well, I'm here," Rona said.

"Do you have the Orb-Keys?"

"'Orb-Keys?'" Rona turned to look at us. We all either shook our heads or shrugged. He turned back to the statues. "What are these 'Orb-Keys?'"

"Orb-Keys to grant access into the Keep… They are hidden around Draconia to prevent them reaching the wrong hands."

"Where can they be found?" I asked.

"Search where the elements are strongest," the statues said in unison. "The Orb-Keys savor specific elements."

"What do they look like?" Rona asked. Eight colored images appeared in front of us. Each consisted of a sphere glowing with elemental energy.

"These are what you are looking for." I heard Ceae gasp behind me, but paid no attention to it. "Return when you have them… And we can grant you access." The eyes returned to their sockets, and the statues fell silent.

"'Search where the elements are strongest,'" Rona repeated. "I have a general idea, but I'm not sure…"

"Well, eight elements," Keia said. "There are several areas of strong magic in Draconia… The ocean is most likely water, the Wastelands fire… The are mountains near the CentraCity that are covered in snow year-round… We might find ice there."

"Darkness, likely to be in the Dark Lands," Vegance said. "Something tells me we should go talk to Dave."

"Oh, great," I said.

"I saw the Nature Key in the FoxWoods once," Rona said. "The alpha fox has it, but has no clue what it is."

"The Draconian Plains are always windy," Ryth pointed out. "We might have luck finding the Wind Key there."

"Lightning," I mumbled. "The CentraCity is the most technologically advanced city in all of Draconia… They may use the Lightning Key as a power source."

"What about light, though?" Keia asked. We all turned to look at Ryth.

"What?" he asked.

"I think you might be able to lead us to the Light Key," I said.

Ryth shrugged. "I'm not sure where it's at… Oh! But I can take us to see Rysta… She created me using a powerful energy source… She might have used the Light Key… Or perhaps, she knows where it's at."

"How do we get a meeting with Draconia's goddess, though?" Keia asked.

"There's a well-hidden entrance to the Heaven-Realm in the IcePeak Mountains near the CentraCity," Ryth explained. "I can take us there."

"Then it seems our best bet would be to start out in the IcePeak Mountains," Vegance said. "We can get at least two Keys from that venture."

"But we have to pass through the FoxWoods and Draconian Plains on the way there… We can pick up two more along the way," Keia said.

"We should try Dave while we're here in the Dark Lands," Rona said. "Get the Darkness Key while we're still around."

"That leaves the ocean, and the Wastelands," I said. "Which one first?"

"The ocean," Vegance said and sighed dreamily. "I've always wanted to go there… We can definitely take a load off there, and it'll be fun! And very easy…"

"Then we should save that last, and take care of _real_ business first…" Rona suggested. "In the Wastelands, there is a great fire demon… That should be the first stop before the beach, so we can relax knowing we're almost there."

"That's a suicide mission!" Ryth shouted. "You're suggesting we go up against a powerful force of Nature to get a Key, possibly at half strength! Is violence your answer to everything?"

"Hold on people!" I shouted. Everyone became silent and turned their attention to me. "As leader of all this… I decide where we go first… And I believe that Rona's right. We can get all stressed up fighting a powerful demon, and then drop the load at the beach. It'll be easier on us… But the Light Key's whereabouts are still unknown. We'll have time and better conditions to think at the beach."

"The Wastelands first, then," Keia said and stepped up beside me. "All with us, say 'aye!'" Everyone raised a fist into the air and shouted "aye!"

"But first, our meeting with Dave," Rona said. Everyone nodded.

"He has a technological base of operations somewhere west of the Lawless Town. Maybe we can sneak in and get out with the Darkness Key in hand," Vegance said.

"We're not sure if he has it, but it's worth a try," I said.

"Then we move now," Vegance said. "Follow me." She headed in her own direction, and we followed.


	18. The Darkness Key

"If we circumvent the town, it would be easier to avoid detection by Dave's minions," I said. "Avoid making yourself seen."

"It's a bit hard to do out here… There's not much cover," Ryth said.

"There's the cover of night," Rona said. "Too bad you stick out, Ryth."

We walked around the town quite a distance. We had to have stayed miles from the town because there was no one to be seen. Night came and went, and yet we never stopped to rest.

"Vegance, how much further?" I asked.

"We could be walking for another day and a half… If things go well," Vegance said.

"If things go wrong?" Keia asked.

"Better hope we all come out alive," Vegance replied.

We continued to walk until Keia nearly dropped to the ground. She stumbled and dropped quickly. Were it not for me jumping to her aid, she would have hit the ground.

"Keia! Are you alright?" I asked.

"I can't walk anymore…" I helped Keia sit down on the ground. She spread her legs out in front of her and winced in pain. "My legs just gave out… Can we rest for awhile, please?"

Vegance looked to Keia with an expression showing concern. "Fine. Take as long as you need." Keia sighed and laid back in the grass. I sat down next to her. Rona and Ryth went off together and both leaned up against a large rock. Vegance sat down with us, and Ceae lay down somewhere nearby.

"Hey, have either of you noticed that Ceae's been acting a little strange?" Keia asked Vegance and I.

"He's been silent since we found out about the Orb Keys… I heard him gasp once," I said.

"I think he's hiding something," Vegance said.

"Ceae!" I shouted. He turned and looked at me. I motioned for him to join us. Ceae got up and walked over to us. "Ceae, what are you hiding from us?"

"N-Nothing, honestly!" Ceae said and put his hands in his pockets. He looked down at the ground.

"Ceae… You've been silent for a while," Keia said.

"I'm not hiding anything…"

"So, if we were to, say, search your bag… You won't have anything to hide, right?" Vegance asked.

"I, uh…"

"Bring me your bag," I said. Ceae retrieved his bag and set it down in front of me. I opened it up and started to pull things out. There was a small bag of Krontars, the few that Ceae had collected on our travels… A potion, an herb… Some extra clothes… And a small, glowing orb. When I pulled out the orb, I noticed that Ceae had twitched. I examined it: it was small, maybe the size of a marble. It emanated an aura of power, and on the inside, I could see the fury of a lightning storm. Purple arcs of electricity struck the sides of the orb in a frenzy. "Ceae, what's this?" I asked while holding the orb into the air.

"I…"

"It _is_ a curious object," Keia said.

"By Rysta," Vegance whispered. She snatched the orb from me and examined it herself. "This is the Lightning Key! We have the first Orb Key!"

"What?" I looked to Ceae. "You've been quiet because of this?"

"I knew what it was… But I knew I'd have to explain where I got it if you found it," Ceae said. "I don't want to be in trouble."

"Now you _have_ to tell us where it came from," I said.

"Okay… So, before we left the castle… I gathered my belongings… This was among them. It _was_ in the castle treasury… But… I stole it. It stuck out among all the other treasures… I had no clue what it was… It just looked very important, and worth a lot."

"You stole it from the treasure? Ceae! What's your problem?" I asked.

"Hey… You have to admit, he _did_ help," Vegance said.

"Still doesn't change the fact that he stole in the first place… That's wrong! What if it wasn't something that would help us on an epic quest? If the guards found out… You'd lose your life," I said.

"But, we have an Orb Key!" Vegance said. "We have to tell Ryth and Rona…"

I looked from Vegance to Ceae. "Fine. I'll let it go this time… But when we get home, we're talking about your thieving problem."

Ryth walked over at that moment, followed by Rona. "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Vegance stood up and held out the Lightning Key. "We have the first Key."

Rona took the Orb Key from Vegance and examined it. "This is definitely one of them… Where did you get it?"

"It doesn't matter… We just have it," I said.

"That's amazing," Ryth said. He seemed entranced by the Key.

"We rest for now," Vegance said. "We'll continue towards Dave's base later."

"We've earned the rest," Keia said and laid back again.

When we were all well rested, we gathered our supplies and once again continued on our way. A few minutes of walking revealed that it was once again night as the grass began to glow under our feet. We walked by night for what seemed like forever. At some point, however, I began to noticed Skeletal guards like those at the Lawless Town. None of them attacked, but all of them watched as we walked past, almost as though they knew our mission. One of them actually stopped us, though.

"Travelers… You have the look about you," the Skeletal guard said as we passed. Vegance stopped us to speak to him.

"Yeah, we're travelers," Vegance said. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"News travels on the streams of darkness in these lands… When a decision is made, it is we Skeletals whom hear it… I know the task that lies before you."

"You do?" I asked.

"Yes… I've been waiting for someone to take that dark orb from Dave… It's power is what keeps us from sleeping… So long as Dave channels its power, we cannot rest…"

"That might explain why the other skeleton guys haven't attacked us," Ryth said.

"We all look to the Heroes as our saviors… If need be, we can escort you to Dave's fortress… We can help you take the orb… Besides, we're expendable. The Darklings have long replaced my kind…"

"We can use all the help we can get," Vegance said.

"But what if it's a trap?" Rona asked.

"Then we learn to go with it," Vegance replied. "Dave can't kill us… He _needs_ us." Vegance turned back to the Skeletal. "Please, escort us."

"My name is Death… Or, so it has been since my revival from the dead. I am the leader of the Skeletal race… We will proudly escort you to the fortress." Death began to walk. "I can't move fast, but we'll get there in time… Allies will join us along the way." We began to follow, with Rona right behind Death. I had a feeling that Rona would attack Death should he lead us into a trap.

Dave's fortress was a mechanical nightmare. The entire outside was resembling a box made of some sort of metallic alloy. It did not appear to be big on the outside at all, and guarding the main entrance, ironically, were Skeletals. Death approached them and explained the situation. We had picked up about twenty more Skeletals along the way, and we all crowded at the main gate. The Skeletals that were standing guard at the fortress entered a series of numbers into a keypad beside the gate, and the gate slid open with a loud metallic scratching noise and a hollow crash. The Skeletal guards followed us all inside to a dark chamber. On the far wall was a group of flashing red, yellow, and green lights. One of the guards reached out and tapped on the wall and another door slid open, revealing an incredibly small room that was well lit.

"Have you ever been in an elevator before?" Death asked me.

I shook my head. "What does it do?"

"It transports us down into the base… It's an underground fortress."

"Okay?"

"Just get in…" Ceae, Keia, Vegance, Rona, Ryth, and I got on the "elevator," followed by twenty-two Skeletals. For a while, the smell was unbearable until we reached the bottom. Everyone dispersed out into the room we arrived in.

"I could have sworn this base was very small… It looked small from the outside," I said.

"It's far from small. Just be careful… Darklings protect the lower levels," Vegance said.

"Where's the Orb Keys?" Ryth asked.

"Most likely in the heart of the fortress… Dave uses it as a power source, and it just happens to keep us Skeletals living," Death explained.

"I wonder how Necril could have developed a security system requiring Orb Keys if they were scattered long ago?" I asked.

"When we have them all, we can ask Necril in person," Rona said.

"Heroes, gather in the middle… My brothers and I will protect your flanks." We gathered together and drew our weapons, just in case. The Skeletals surrounded us and began to move. We left the first room of the underground base and crowded into a somewhat thin corridor. Moving as a group was slow, but effective. Things went smoothly until we reached the end of the corridor. A large machine that looked like a mecha turret folded out of the ceiling and began to spin.

"Turret! Skeletal defensive stance!" Death commanded and raised a shield up in front. The surrounding Skeletals raised their shields as well and covered our heads. The sound of bullets ricocheting off of steel shields rang all around us and echoed throughout the corridor. I turned to Rona to say something, but noticed that he had already disappeared. Outside of our metal barricade, the turret stopped firing and I could hear a steel collision and a loud crash. Death lowered his shield, followed by the other Skeletals. The turret was sparking at its base, and Rona had one foot on top of the downed turret with his sword slung over his shoulder.

"Keep moving," Rona said. We followed him out of the corridor and into a large room. In the middle of the room was a circular hole almost like a well. From four points on the circle, hatches opened and four pointed devices slid out. The devices pointed toward the center of the circle and up into the air. Four beams of light projected together to make a figure. That figure was Dave.

"Tsk, tsk… If you all are here to see me, well, let's just say it's a bit late to change your mind, Cryos. I know why you're here… You want the Darkness Key, don't you? Tell you what… Head straight through that corridor there." Dave pointed to the far wall. "That leads to the core. Take the Key… You know you want to." With an evil laugh, Dave disappeared.

"We head through the door then," I said and started to walk.

"Wait!" Keia shouted and put her hand on my shoulder. "Don't go… It's a trap."

I turned around. "I'm sorry Keia, but there's no choice… We need that Key."

"Let us lead," Death said. "If it is indeed a trap, better for us to hurt than you."

"Has anyone else noticed that we haven't run into any Darklings yet?" Ceae asked.

"Kid's got a point… They must be expecting us," Rona said.

"We can take care of them," Death said. "We lead." We followed Death and his Skeletals. This corridor was not crowded, and it was not guarded either. We passed throughout without difficulty and arrived in an even larger room than the previous one. There were several doorways leading in different directions and even a second floor. In the center of the room was a pillar running up to a high ceiling. Emanating from the central pillar was a faint purple light.

"That is the core," Death said. "You can see the dark orb floating at the second level, but it is surrounded by a force field… To deactivate the force field, you have to nullify it with another orb."

I pulled out the Lightning Key. "It would appear these 'orbs' have another use than just opening giant gates," I said. Suddenly, the doors around the room all shut. I could hear a loud locking sound. Throughout the room, several dark masses materialized from the ground.

"Cryos, you and Ryth get up there and get that Key," Rona said. "We and the Skeletals will hold the enemies off."

Ryth and I looked at each other. "I'll protect us… You just get up there and retrieve the Key," Ryth said.

"Let's go!" Ryth and I separated from the group and moved towards a ramp leading to the second level. The Spawns that jumped in our way were quickly knocked away by Ryth. On the second floor, the railing ran along the length of the room. From two points, the railing split off and ran to the central pillar, at which the Key was waiting. I ran up to the force field and held out the Lightning Key. A section of the force field disappeared, but not much. I tried to reach through and get the Key, but was unable to.

"Ryth, I can't reach!"

"Here, allow me." Ryth reached through the hole that I had made and grabbed the Darkness Key. He yanked it back and held it in the air. "The Darkness Key… It's ours!" The building began to shake. A female voice from above made an announcement.

"Removal of the darkness orb forces self-destruct… Self-destruct sequence activated. Five minutes to detonation."

"Uh oh," I said. Ryth and I ran to get back to the first level. The Spawns were retreating!

"Someone break down the door!" Rona shouted. When he finished, a loud crash caused the door to fly across the room and into the pillar in the middle of the room. Two Nightmares entered the room and started moving towards us.

"Cryos! Run! We'll take care of this!" Death shouted.

"But—"

"Just do it! Think of it as a parting gift…" Without hesitation, I ran past the Nightmares, followed by the rest of my group.

"Three minutes remaining," the female voice said. We all crowded into the elevator and returned to the surface. As we exited the building, we ran into Dave.

"Well, hi there!" Dave said. "I never officially welcomed you to my base of operations… Welcome."

"We have no time for this!" Vegance shouted.

"Oh… Well then, I'll see you on your way… You're free to go."

"You are letting us go?" I asked.

"Sure… One way or another, _my_ plans _will_ be fulfilled…" Dave let out an evil laugh as we ran past him. A few seconds later, a loud explosion rang out through the land. We did not stop running to look behind, but kept going to ensure our safety. When again the air was calm, we stopped. I looked back at Dave's base: it was completely engulfed in flame. I saw something white fly towards us. When it was close enough, I saw it was a man. Actually, more of a transparent man.

"Thank you, Heroes… Thank you." The voice was that of Death's. "Your actions have freed us of our bonds… Your actions have put us all one step closer to the light. Dave is gone too… We can finally rest."

"It was no problem at all! Your goal and ours were a common one," I said.

"Thank you…" Death's spirit faded away. I pulled out the Darkness Key and the Lightning Key.

"That's two Keys… Six remain. We head back to the FoxWoods now, and then through the Draconian Plains to the Ice Peaks," I reviewed.

"Shouldn't we rest?" Keia asked.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to rest ourselves in the wilderness… We don't have much time to act, if the cloud cover is spreading."

"Right," Rona said. "Let's get moving."


	19. The Nature Key

Before we even passed through the cloud cover at the beginning of the Dark Lands, the land became familiar. On the inside of the cover was the line of trees that began the FoxWoods!

"It _is_ spreading!" I shouted. "This area used to be part of Draconia!"

"Oh no," Rona said. He ran off without warning.

"Rona, wait!" Vegance yelled. She began to run after him. Keia, Ryth, Ceae, and I followed. We passed through the cloud cover at some point in the Woods. We slowed down a bit now that the territory was less alien. Rona was talking to Alea.

"Alea… The cover is spreading… We need to alert your father and tell him to evacuate the other spirits, before those clouds cover your home… If not, you all will surely be corrupted…"

"Rona, as much as I'd like to… Daddy will go down with his home before he'll evacuate the others," Alea said. "There's no hope…"

"If he won't go, make the others leave on their own! I know the malicious nature of darkness… You can't fight against it."

"Alea," I said, "Rona's right. I saw from the top of Necril's Keep the production of the dark clouds… They're coming fast, so the FoxWoods _need_ to be left behind. Go to the CentraCity and seek refuge there… Tell the citizens that I sent you, and that they should treat you kindly."

Alea stared at me for a moment. "I'll talk it over with Daddy… If he says no, I'll have the others leave immediately."

"But there's something else we require of you," Vegance said.

"What is it?" Alea asked.

"We need the Nature Key."

"The 'Nature Key?' What does it look like?"

I pulled out the other two Keys we had obtained. "It's shaped like these, and glows with an elemental power… We need it to access Necril's Keep."

Alea took the Darkness Key and examined it. "I might have an idea, but you must talk it over with Daddy… The alpha fox passes it down through generations of leaders…"

"These Keys have definitely been around for awhile," Rona said.

"Quick! We have to warn the others!" Alea said and ran off into the Woods. We quickly followed.

"Daddy! Daddy! There's an emergency!" Alea shouted as we all ran into Alea's home.

"Alea? Adventurers… What's going on?" the alpha fox asked.

"The Dark Lands' cloud cover is spreading," I stated calmly. "You need to evacuate the fox spirits…"

Alpha Fox scoffed. "Yeah, like I would do that…"

"Daddy, it's true… If you value your life, and the lives of the others… _Please_, you must!"

"And if I don't? It'll only be a little darker…"

"You don't have a choice… The darkness corrupts. The Dark Lands themselves are a barren wasteland, almost… You and the other fox spirits will become slaves to the night," Rona explained.

Alpha Fox switched his gaze from face to face. "I can't do it… We fox spirits have lived in these Woods for many generations… I refuse to have fox spirit land taken again…"

"Daddy… You're hopeless. If you won't evacuate them, I will," Alea said and stormed out of the hut. I gave one last glance at Alpha Fox and left, followed by the others. Alea climbed up onto her father's throne and pressed a couple of buttons. I could hear a buzzing sound as the speakers throughout the clearing activated. Alea picked up a microphone.

"I have a message for all fox spirits! Everyone, report to the Dance clearing!" In a matter of minutes a wave of fur and tails crowded into the clearing. Confused muttering filled the clearing. "My people… We have a dire emergency… We must evacuate the Woods, lest we want to die. The cloud cover from the Dark Lands is headed this way at an alarming pace…"

"But, where do we go?" one of the male fox spirits asked.

"We head to the Draconian CentraCity… Prince Cryos said that we can do so." Alpha Fox came up from behind the throne and grabbed the microphone out of Alea's hand.

"There is no problem… Go back home, get some rest… We are _not_ leaving," Alpha Fox said.

"Wait a minute!" I shouted. "Some leader _you_ are! This isn't bravery, standing up against the forces of darkness… This is stupidity. The fox spirits need to leave _now_. If you won't go with them, fine. You can die alone… But there's no need to sacrifice thousands of innocent lives for nothing." I looked at Alea. "Take them where they need to go."

Alea nodded. "If you want to live, come with me! It's a few days' travel to the CentraCity, but we'll be safe there." Alea headed off into the Woods, followed by the majority of fox spirits. Only a few stayed behind.

"We're staying here," one of the fox spirits said. "Perhaps we can make it through this."

"Well, I wish you luck," I told him. "At least most of the spirits will be safe."

Rona walked up the steps to the alpha fox. "I need one more thing from you before we leave."

Alpha Fox sighed. "Just name it."

"We need the Nature Key." Rona handed the alpha fox the Darkness Key. "It's very similar to this, but glows with the energy of Nature. Alea said to talk to you about it…"

Alpha Fox took one glance at the Darkness Key and then looked at Rona. "I know where it is… We keep it stored in a sort of 'safe.' You have to pass three trials to obtain it, though."

"It's always three trials nowadays… What are we up against?"

"The trials of strength, wisdom, and friendship. If the six of you can't figure them out together, then there's no hope for you."

"Where does this 'safe' lie?"

"Kara!" The alpha fox motioned to one of the fox spirits in the crowd that had stayed behind. She walked up the stairs calmly and gracefully.

"Yes, Alpha?" Kara asked and stood attentively.

"Rona and his group of adventurers need to be shown to the Trials Chamber. Would you kindly do the honors?"

"Sure…thing." Kara turned to Rona and put her hand on his shoulder. "If you'll kindly follow me…" She walked down the stairs and over to the others and I. "Follow me… I'll take you to the Nature Orb." Kara started walking among the trees, followed by Keia, Ceae, Vegance, Ryth, Rona, and I.

"This is the Trials Chamber," Kara said while standing in front of the entrance to a stone establishment. "Inside, you must pass three trials: the Trial of Strength, the Trial of Wisdom, and the Trial of Friendship. Only after you have passed those trials will the path to the Nature Orb open for you."

"Are there any rules?" I asked.

"Survival of the fittest. That's all I can say…" Kara began to walk off, but turned around to speak again. "I have to catch up with the other fox spirits… I changed my mind, and I want safety. If you have any further questions, you're on your own."

"No, we'll be fine," I said. "It's best you worry about yourself."

"Thank you." Kara hurried off into the Woods.

"The Trials Chamber… As long as I have lived in these Woods, I never knew this place existed… I was never on good terms with the alpha fox anyway," Rona said.

"Strength, wisdom, and friendship… I think we can cover it all," Keia said.

"Hope so… No room for error," I said.

"We should get started," Rona said and walked into the stone building. The rest of us followed.

Inside of the Trials Chamber were three large entrances with a stone carving beside each one. The middle of the room was a circle with three walkways running off from it. I moved closer to one of the carvings to look at it closer. It was clearly written in Draconian, not Spiritian.

"How come the fox spirits take custody of this place?" I asked. "The carvings are written in Draconian!"

"It's in their Woods," Keia said as she walked up next to me. "This place was probably built by ancient Draconians, before fox spirits every arrived here."

"Can you read it?" Ryth asked.

"It reads, 'Trial of Strength: Bring as many as you like to fight with, but the more you bring, the tougher the enemies you will fight. More is not always the better choice.' So, how many are we going to take in there?"

"The question is, how many will one have to fight, as compared to six? And, how easy will it be to kill them depending on how many? One may be able to take them all, but with six… There may be a better chance of survival," Rona said.

"Rona, how about you go in?" Ryth asked.

"I'm not doing it alone… I need someone to watch my back."

"Then I'll go," Ryth suggested.

"No." Rona pointed at me. "I want Cryos to show me what he can _really_ do."

"Me?" I asked while pointing at myself.

"It's time for you to learn." Rona walked past me into the trial room. The rest of us followed, but only Rona and I stepped out into the middle of the room. The room was circular with a circular section in the center of the room separated by a line. Where we came in was a rectangular guestbox, I guess, where the others could stand and watch. A force field went up after Rona and I stepped into the middle of the room, to keep anyone from joining our battle. A force field also surrounded Rona and I. We drew our swords and waited. All around us, Darkling Spawns started to appear.

"Watch my back, and I'll watch yours," Rona told me. "We're coming out of this alive."

I counted about twenty-five Spawns. "Well, it's not _too_ many for us." As soon as the force field lowered, the Spawns rushed at us. Rona split off from me and took out four Spawns with a single slash. I knocked one over the head with the hilt of my sword to stun it, and then spun around to slash through it and another. That was two for me. A few of the Spawns rushed past me towards Rona. I turned around and cast ice magic to freeze them in place.

"Rona, I have you covered!" I shouted. Rona turned around to see the frozen Spawns. I turned back around in time to dodge a Spawn's attack, and in the process of leaping backwards, cut its head from its shoulders.

"Cryos, ten remain," Rona said. I nodded. I cut down a couple more and then I heard the sound of ice shattering. I turned around again to see that the four Spawns I had frozen had broken loose! Without thinking, I threw my sword in a straight line. It impaled four of them and stuck into the wall. My sword had just barely missed hitting Rona. He stopped what he was doing to stare at my sword in the wall. He killed the remaining four, and then there were none. I retrieved my sword and put it away. In the center of the room, a red gemstone appeared.

"I guess this is for completing the trial," Rona said. He took the gemstone and put it away. "Nice fighting out there."

"You did great too," I said.

"You were better. You have an original fighting style…"

"We all have our strengths and weaknesses…" The force field blocking off the way back to the main chamber went down. Rona and I joined the others.

"You two make a great team," Keia said to Rona and I. "I could feel the bonds of trust between both of you… Definitely a great team."

"Let's head back to the main chamber… Two trials remain," Rona said. We went back into the opening chamber, and I went ahead to the next trial gateway. I looked up at the stone carving. Again, it was written in Draconian. I began to translate.

"'Trial of Wisdom… Where one lacks wise man's knowledge, many make up for the loss. The more you have, the better your success… But, the harder the work more participants must do.' Any ideas?"

"It means, if we have more to solve the puzzles, there's a better chance of success… But, it's harder work if we have more people working," Ryth said.

"It seems as though these trials are harder with the more we have working them," I said. "What's the plan?"

"Send in our smartest," Rona suggested.

"I vote Cryos," Keia said.

"If I should fail?" I asked.

"Ryth too," Vegance said. "That way, if Cryos is wrong, we have someone to correct him."

"I'm going too," Rona said. "If both of you are wrong, I can smash your heads together for being such idiots." Ryth and I both turned to face Rona. "It takes an intellectual being to step out of character, even for a second… We three go together."

I nodded. "No complaint."

"Hopefully you two think as a team as well as you fight," Ryth said.

"Oh, Ryth… If only you were there the first time I saw Rona," I mumbled.

"What was that?" Ryth asked.

"Nothing!" I went first into the second trial chamber. Rona and Ryth followed close behind, and the other half of us kept further behind.

In the second trial chamber, there was a layout similar to the first, but now a stone carving lie embedded into the far wall. The room was actually square instead of round, but the spectators' bench was in the same spot as the last. There was a variety of square-shaped objects protruding from the floor around the room, creating a sort of maze-like feeling. In the four corners of the room, there were four large colored holes, as well as the starting square in the middle. Rona and Ryth headed to the center starting square, but I went straight to the far wall to check the stone carving.

"The carving reads: 'In this room, notice the four colored slots. Your goal is to get large color-coded stone blocks into these holes. The raised up sections of floor add to the challenge. Depending on how many people you have, there will be more or less raised surfaces, and will also determine how difficult it will be to push a block _and_ get it to its destination," I read.

"I hope you're stronger than you look," Ryth said to me.

"No worries! Just because I've had servants look after me for eighteen years doesn't mean I can't push a block." I moved to the center of the room to join Ryth and Rona. As soon as a force field went up around us, the raised sections of floor disappeared. The colored holes were gone as well! I saw a multitude of flashing white squares as the trial chamber set up our puzzle. At the end, four large colored stone blocks were set up around the maze. Their appropriate colored slots appeared as well. The force field went down, leaving the three of us to pace around the maze and determine which block to move first, where to put it, and which ones to put in their slots first.

"Be careful… It seems to me as though once a block is in its slot, there is no moving it again… We have to plan carefully," Rona said.

"How about we just push blocks into their slots, and then if we fail, take a different approach to it? If we screw up, just try again!" Ryth suggested.

"Sounds good to me," I said.

"Do you think two can move a block, and one can guide?" Ryth asked. Rona and I both got together against a nearby block and gave it a push. Slowly but surely, it moved across the floor with a deep grinding noise. "Okay, okay… Blue block in the blue slot." Ryth guided us to the blue slot and we pushed the blue block in. The block sunk down and became as another portion of raised floor.

"Uh… Move the red block here," Ryth said and stood on a part of the floor. Rona and I pushed the red block to Ryth's position. "Now…" Ryth ran over to the green block. "Move it this way and put it in the green slot." Rona and I pushed the green block along and into the green slot. It too sunk down and became a new obstacle.

"So far, so good," Ryth said.

"This is almost too easy… If only the blocks weren't so heavy," I said.

"Okay, move the red this way, and… Uh oh," Ryth said. "This can't be good."

"What?" Rona asked.

"It appears that, even if we put the red block in its slot… The purple one will be blocked from its slot. We've failed this time…"

"Dang," I muttered.

"How do we reset?" Ryth asked.

"Everybody back to the central square," Rona said. We all gathered back in the middle. After a few seconds of waiting in that spot, the force field again surrounded us. The flashing squares continued again after clearing the room. The trial chamber set up an entirely different puzzle!

"Oh, so we have to think on our feet now? No retries? We could be here for awhile," Ryth said.

"Well, we have to get it eventually," I said.

"Think ahead next time," Rona said.

"Sorry…" Ryth said and sighed. When the force field went down, again we were left to the mercy of our mental power.

"_This_ time, we're going to plan ahead… Understand?" Rona said.

"I don't have a problem with it," I said.

"You guys plan… I'll guide you when you push," Ryth said. Rona and I both nodded.

"From just glancing at this… I can imagine the entire field from an overhead perspective," Rona said. "I can imagine each and every outcome to pushing any block to any position… And I can determine the single solution. Ryth, guide us, red block to red slot." Ryth obeyed and guided Rona and I as we pushed. The red block sat easily in its slot. "Purple to slot." Again, we pushed. Yet another block was set in place. We continued with the blue, and finally the green. In a few minutes, we had been successful! All of the raised sections of the floor sunk down, and in the middle of the room appeared a blue gemstone. Rona took this one as well.

"Job well done," I said. "One trial remains… Isn't it normally the last one that's the hardest?"

"We'll see, Cryos… We'll see," Rona said. "Be prepared for the worst." Rona, Ryth, and I regrouped with the others and headed back into the central chamber. I went straight to the third and final stone carving and began to read.

"'Trial of Friendship: A trial among trials, a trial of the heart… Remember your friends and their abilities to keep moving on… Your only support comes from those you keep the closest. All party members are necessary.' Looks like we're all in this," I said.

"Appears so," Rona stated.

"Until the end… Let's keep this going," Keia said.

"The girl's right. No choice in the matter… Let's do it," Vegance agreed. Ceae nodded.

"I'm not in this for nothing! I might as well," Ryth said.

"I should know my friends better than anyone else… This seems like a challenge for me," I said. We all gathered together and entered the final trial chamber together.

When we entered, we appeared to be in a cross-shaped chamber with a door at the end of the hall. Above that door was a small, round object that appeared to resemble a button. I turned around to ask if everyone was ready, but no one was there!

"Hello? Where'd everyone go?" I shouted. There was no response, but instead, a plaque appeared on the wall. "'Your friends are many, and many are lost… Each of you, with a unique ability, must work to help the others.'" The force field blocking the hallway went down. My first reaction was to run into the middle of the cross-shaped hallway. I looked to the left: an open doorway was there. I could see faintly into a circular room, but I did not pay much attention to it. On the right was another door. I looked back to the left, and then decided to head to the right. A force field sprung up in front of me.

'Damn,' I thought. I turned all the way around and headed towards the open doorway. As I got closer, I could see a cage hanging from the ceiling of the room. I was about to head through the doorway when a jet of fire created a wall in front of me. Without thinking, I let loose with a stream of icy wind. The fire dissipated, and I ran into the room. Ceae was in the cage!

"Ceae!" I shouted.

"Cryos! Get me out of here!" Ceae shouted back. A few Darkling Spawns sprang up from the ground. I made short work of them and moved to a lever near the back of the room. I pulled the lever and Ceae's cage lowered to the ground and opened. Ceae ran out and drew his weapon. "Thanks…"

"It's no problem… You guys just disappeared…"

"We walked into the trial chamber, and then we were put in these cages… I just want out of here."

"Well, maybe I can move on now." I pointed down the hallway. "There are two doors… Let's go look at them." Ceae and I headed into the cross-section and turned left towards the door with the button above it. "Ceae, you're the thief… Check the door." Ceae reached for the handle, but there was none.

"No handle!"

"Nice… Let's try the other door." We went back to the other door and looked at it closely. There was a handle on this one. I tried to turn the knob, but it would not budge. "Ceae… Can you open this?"

"Pick a lock? Not a problem…" Ceae pulled out a small, skinny metal object. He crammed it into the door's keyhole and fumbled with the lock. I heard a variety of clicking noises, and then the door opened. I pushed the door open all the way to reveal the next room. It looked the same as Ceae's chamber, with a cage hanging from the ceiling. Keia was inside the cage.

"Keia!" I shouted.

"Cryos! What took you so long?" Keia asked.

"I had to help Ceae to get to you… Don't worry; I'm going to get you down." Throughout the room, a few creatures that appeared to be Spawns rose from the ground. The only difference that I could see was that these ones were on fire.

"Keia, what are these things?" I asked.

"I don't know! I can't see down there…"

"Great… I'll just called them Blazes then." I turned to Ceae. "Ceae, you know water magic… Drown them. I'll rescue Keia." Ceae nodded and began to launch bursts of water around the room. I went around the battle area towards the lever to drop Keia's cage. When I had my hand on the lever, one of the Blazes tried to stop me. As I dodged his attack, I tried to freeze him. It would have worked, had the Blaze's fire not melted the ice. I ran back near Ceae.

"I thought you were helping Keia?" Ceae asked.

"I was, until I was attacked by a Blaze."

"Oh… Maybe it's just a better idea to stay near me until they're all dead."

"I can't argue with that… Ice doesn't work on them." I waited until Ceae had drenched the last Blaze and then put away my weapon. Ceae watched the door while I pulled the lever to set Keia free. I pulled the lever and Keia's cage lowered to the ground. She stepped out and smiled.

"Thank you," Keia whispered to me. "Where are the others?"

"We have to find them… There's only one way left to go," I said. "It's down the hall."

"Well let's go check it out!" Keia said. Ceae and I led Keia into the hallway and to the door with no handle.

"What do you make of this door?" I asked.

"There's no handle," Keia pointed out.

"We figured that out already," Ceae said.

"Keia, what do you make of that blue circle above the door?"

"Why don't you press it?"

I jumped up and tried to hit the button. I fell too short. "I can't reach."

I looked up as I heard something whizz over my head. An arrow now stuck out of the button, which was no longer glowing blue. A piece of metal fell off the door, revealing a handle and a keyhole. I turned around to glance back at Ceae and Keia before trying the door. This one was locked too!

"Ceae, pick the lock?"

"Sure…" Ceae repeated the process he had before with the other door. After a few clicking noises, the door opened. Ceae pushed the door open all the way to reveal another hallway that branched off in three directions. Keia, Ceae, and I walked into the middle of the intersection and looked around. To the left was a door with a handle and a keyhole. In front of us was a larger door that was barred twice. There was no handle, no button, and no keyhole. On the right was yet another door. This one had only a button.

"Straight ahead is not an option," Keia said. "To the right, a button I can press… And to the left, another door that you and Ceae could access."

"Instinct tells me to go left," I said. We all gathered by the door. I did not bother with the handle this time because I figured it was locked. "Ceae, unlock."

"Sure thing." Ceae barely touched the door before he threw his hand backwards. "Cryos, it's hot!"

"Allow me…" I iced the door down a bit. Ceae tried again and succeeded once more in opening a door. We all headed into the next chamber. Vegance sat uncomfortably in a cage, but there was no release lever in this room. Instead, another button sat high up in the room. Vegance lifted her head as we entered the room.

"Oh, hey, look! Knights in shining armor, come to save the damsel in distress… Hardly a fitting tale," Vegance retorted.

"You want out?" Keia asked.

"Oh, _yeah_, I want out… The beast is waiting to be released, if you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I think I do," Keia said. "I don't blame you… It's been a long journey thus far."

"What are they talking about?" Ceae asked me.

"Uh… Nothing! Nothing at all… Don't worry about it. Just 'girl talk,'" I replied.

"Just let me out of here," Vegance said. Keia aimed up high towards the ceiling and fired an arrow into the button above. Vegance's cage moved down a bit but then stopped. The cage opened from below and dropped Vegance onto the ground.

"Oof!" Vegance climbed to her feet. "Just my luck…"

"Well, that was pretty easy," I said. "Rescuing Ceae and Keia, there were battles involved."

"I'm just special. Where's Rona? And Ryth?"

"Still locked up, no doubt. We have to move towards rescuing them," I said.

"What're we waiting for? Get a move on!" We all travelled back into the hall and ignored the double-barred door for now. We went to the door with no handle instead.

"Keia, the button." Keia hit the button with an arrow. Ceae was expecting the door's keyhole to become available, but instead a small opening appeared near the bottom of the door.

"This is a job for me-owww…" Vegance said as she started to morph into a cat. She climbed through the opening. I was expecting her to open the door, but nothing happened.

"Vegance? You forgot the door…" There was no response. Instead, I heard a large crash on the other side and a groaning noise. I turned to Keia and Ceae. "I really think we should move." We ran down the hall and turned inwards to the double-barred door. I looked around the corner. A loud metallic thump was heard, and then the door flew off the wall. I pulled my head in as the door flew by and bounced down the hallway. Rona and Vegance walked up to us. Actually, Rona walked past us towards the barred door, and Vegance stopped to speak to us.

"Rona's pissed… Let him take this door," Vegance said as Rona drew his sword. He slashed through the iron bars and kicked down the door. The final chamber was the largest, and against the back wall was a series of raised platforms. Ryth happened to be chained up against the wall, a lock on each arm and leg and a chain around his neck.

"Oh! Hi! Would you guys mind getting me down from here?" Ryth asked as we entered. As a group, Ceae, Keia, Vegance, Rona, and I all moved closer to examine Ryth's predicament. One of the locks was covered, but there was a button above Ryth's head between his ears. There was no lock on Ryth's neck chain, so I imagined the only way to fix that would be either to cut the chain itself or somehow get behind the wall to check back there.

"Ryth, how much do you trust us?" Keia asked.

"Uh… Why do you ask?"

"Don't move." Keia pulled back an arrow and it seemed to me like she was aiming at Ryth's head. Ryth closed his eyes and sat still. Keia let loose and the arrow stuck into the button above Ryth's head. His ears perked up when he realized how close the arrow had come to hitting him. The metal covering one of the locks broke off and a hatch opened near to the ground. A ticking sound started, and then Ryth screamed in pain.

"Arrgh! The chains! They're pulling!" Ryth shouted.

"Quick! Vegance, take Rona's sword through that hatch and cut the neck chain if you must! Ceae, pick the locks!" I ordered.

"Immediately," Vegance said. She snatched Rona's katana from his hand, threw it through the hatch, transformed into a cat again, and dove into the hatch herself. A few seconds later, the chain around Ryth's neck fell to the floor.

"Well, at least I won't suffocate… Get the other chains!" I looked to Ceae.

"Ceae, what are you doing? Pick those locks!"

"I can't! They're all too hot to touch!"

"Damn," I mumbled under my breath. I moved closer and cooled off all the chains. "Pick the locks now."

"Quickly!" Ryth shouted. Ceae worked quickly, dropping lock after lock to the floor. After the fourth lock, Ryth was released and dropped to the floor. He landed, somewhat, on all fours. He stood up and came to join the rest of us.

"Thanks…" Ryth said. A small, yellow, spherical object appeared in the middle of the room. Rona quickly snatched it up.

"That's three trials completed!" I said. "Let's return to the main chamber." There were no objections, so we returned back to the main chamber.

There was a noticeable difference about the main chamber once we entered. A stone column rose from the middle platform, and three slots adorned its surface. Rona went straight to the stone column and directly in front of it; the rest of us gathered around it. Rona produced the three gemstones and placed them in the slots. A quiet noise was heard and a slot on top of the column opened. A somewhat larger sphere rose up out of the column. This orb glowed green and emitted a significant amount of energy.

"The Nature Key," Rona said and took it from its resting position. He passed it to me, and I put the Nature Key with the others. With no more to do here, we returned to the outside world.

Outside, the air seemed a bit stifling. Everything was noticeably darker too. We looked to the direction of the Dark Lands and noticed that the cloud cover had definitely been moving. We ran the way to the Fox Spirit's settlement, and the place was entirely abandoned. However, the alpha fox sat by his lonesome up in his throne.

"Elder… You have yet to leave?" Rona asked. The alpha fox turned weakly to look at Rona.

"It would appear that way… But the Woods do not take favor of my actions… All other fox spirits have left, taking their magic with them… I cannot exist alone like this… I am all that remains, and I am dying with these Woods," Alpha Fox said.

"You can leave now… The others need you."

"No… I cannot… I am weak… The fox spirits provide the magic that keeps me alive… Without them… My time has come." The alpha fox laid his head back and closed his eyes. His body began to glow white, and then it dissipated and reassembled into the air. The alpha fox now more closely resembled a spirit. "Rysta can take me now… I am ready." Without another word, Alpha Fox flew into the sky and disappeared.

I looked to Rona. It was clear he had been affected by the alpha fox's death. Rona turned his back to us. Vegance moved closer to Rona and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rona…"

"Just… Leave me alone," Rona said. "Go on without me… I'll catch up later."

"Rona, we need you… We can't just leave you behind," I said. "Please, come with us… Think about this some other time…"

"No… I've made my decision… We'll meet again later."

"Cryos, let's just go… When Rona wants alone time, we let him have it," Vegance said.

"Okay… Stay safe, okay Rona?" Rona was silent. The rest of us walked slowly down the stairs and pushed through the remainder of the Woods. From then on, the rest of the Orb Keys would just require a lot of crossing back and forth on the Plains.


	20. The Wind Key

Once again, we were on the Plains. Keia had told me that she wanted to go back to the ruins of the old Draconian capitol. She had a strong feeling that we would find something very important there. At the time that her suggestion was made, however, it was almost nightfall, so I took it into consideration and decided to wait until morning. We built a fire somewhat closer to our first campsite in the Plains and took a rest.

"So far, this journey has actually been kinda fun, and even rewarding," I said. Ryth, Vegance, Keia, and Ceae all turned to face me. "I have to thank my parents… At first, I complained because they were sending me on this mission on my birthday… Well, that was then and this is now. I'm happy they sent me away… I've learned so much, and actually got a chance to meet new friends… It's too bad Rona's not here…"

"Don't worry so much," Vegance told me. "I still have a whiff of Rona's magic signature… Something tells me we'll run into him again."

"Rona's kind of a part of me, "Ryth started up. "I can't lose track of him… It's Destiny that keeps us running into each other. Rysta intertwined me and Rona's Destinies together somehow… We _will_ see him again… If not soon, eventually."

"Thanks Ryth, Vegance," I said. I turned to look at Keia. She was silently staring at the ground. "Keia? Is something wrong?"

Keia jerked and looked up at me. "It's nothing… I'm just a little worried about Rona too… That, among other things…"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No… Not here…"

"You know, we're near that stack of rocks we were near last time we were out here… You and I could go talk about it." I stood up and moved closer to Keia. "C'mon…" Keia looked up at me. I stuck out my hand and took hers. She pulled herself to her feet and we walked off towards the pile of rocks from before.

"So, what's on your mind?" I asked.

"I have this really bad feeling… As though we've been betrayed," Keia told me.

"Betrayed? By Rona?"

"I don't know… I don't think it's Rona… It feels a lot closer to home than Rona."

"You're worried about betrayal?"

"Cryos, what if we're after the wrong person? Like this whole 'mission' is only a cover-up for something more dangerous?"

"Are you doubting my parents?" I asked angrily.

"Well… I've been thinking a lot about what Dave said…"

"What, that no matter what, his brother will be killed?"

"No… You described it the night you met with him… About how you'll realize the truth… What if he's right?" That means we're after the wrong person…"

"Keia… We can't worry about this now… How about we just finish the job we started, and if things go wrong, we'll figure out what to do from there."

"Let's just hope we're doing the right thing…"

"To change the subject a bit," I said, "how about we discuss our future instead?"

"I don't know Cryos… If we end up doing the wrong thing, there may be no future for us… Let's just find those Orb Keys…"

I sighed. "Okay… How about we take a rest?"

"That's a good idea… Some of us need it." Keia abandoned me for the campsite. I looked up at the stars in the night sky.

"Rysta forbid we ever do the wrong thing… Let Destiny guide us as things should be." I followed after Keia to the campsite. Everyone else was already fast asleep. Keia had taken a spot and had lied down. I picked a spot away from the others and lied down myself. I was fairly tired, since it had been awhile since I last slept. Before I fell asleep, I thought I heard Ryth mumble "Yeah, shake that bush…" A smile came across my face as I drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, we retraced our steps back to the Travelers' Town. This "town" now had a few extra buildings under construction, so I imagined the townsfolk finally procured enough supplies to expand their hopelessly small living quarters. We did not stay long because we had one goal in mind: revisit the ruins of the old Draconian capitol. As soon as we had taken care of business (and Vegance had chatted with the innkeeper for what seemed like forever), we put the town behind us and started searching for the ruins once more.

The ruins were right as we left them. This time, however, Vegance and Ryth were a part of the group to set foot upon the rubble. From a distance, I had thought I saw a dark figure leap from the top of one of the towers.

"Did you see that?" I asked aloud while pointing at the tower.

"See what?" Keia asked.

"A black figure jumped from the top of that tower!"

"Maybe it was a bird," Ryth suggested.

"If that was a bird, for one, it was huge… And it definitely couldn't fly," I argued.

"We'll just have to see when we get there," Vegance said.

"What if it's dangerous?" I asked.

"It can't be dangerous… Rona's magic still dwells there. It has kept all evil beings from that place," Vegance replied.

"I would imagine that anything would avoid that place if they feel Rona's presence there," Ryth said.

"Just keep moving! I want to see this place for myself," Vegance demanded.

'Just a bit bossy,' I thought to myself and continued toward the ruins.

When we were at the base of the ruins, Vegance put one hand against the side of one of the stone towers. "This is definitely the place… When Rona and I worked for the darkness, this was our hideout… This was where he and I drew out our plans of attack… That's why it's almost like a town at a distance… I made the illusion. Unsuspecting men searching for a paradise only found death when they arrived… Many a man died on these grounds. Now, it seems the magic force that surrounds this place is weakening rapidly… I don't understand why."

"Maybe it happened when we took Rona's mask?" Ceae asked.

"Perhaps… But there's definitely a strong source keeping the magic alive," Vegance said.

"There must be an Orb Key nearby then," I said. "We should search for it."

"I'll take the tower with Ceae," Keia said.

"You do that… I'll explore underneath some of the ruins," I said.

"I'll head to search some of the decayed towers on the other side of the ruins," Vegance said.

"And I'll just dig randomly through the rubble, just in case," Ryth said. We all split up and searched our designated areas. I went beneath the castle remains to search the underside of the ruins. In my opinion, a powerful source of energy _should_ be at the core of the structure. For nearly an hour, I looked high and low and moved many piles of stone, but never found anything important-looking. Vegance came to join me, empty-handed as well, followed by Ryth who also had nothing.

"So, we're all unsuccessful?" I asked. Ryth hung his head and Vegance silently nodded. "Have either of you seen Ceae or Keia?"

"I've been nowhere near, so I haven't seen either," Ryth said.

"I haven't seen either of them since they left for the tower," Vegance said.

"Real quick… Have you felt the power source yet, Vegance?" I asked.

"Actually, I have… It's on the move, though."

"Maybe Ceae and Keia have found something!" I ran off alone towards the tower Keia had suggested she and Ceae would search. While running up the stairs on the side of the tower, I almost knocked Keia off as I ran into her. My first reaction caused me to throw my arms around her, and we somehow ended up against the wall.

"Well, uh, hi Cryos," Keia said. "A little rough, don'tcha think?"

I pulled away from Keia. "I'm sorry… That just happened to be my first reaction," I said. "Did you find anything?"

"Actually, yeah… But it's not an Orb Key. It's a clue that might tell us who _has_ though."

"What is it?"

"Well," Ceae started, "we were searching the tower… Amazingly, we found a table that wasn't ruined! Entirely, at least… There was a nail sticking out of the side… And on that nail was a clump of black fur."

"It's too fresh to be nearly twenty years old… It's recent," Keia said.

"Vegance told me that she has a lock on the power source around here… The Orb Key… And it's moving. I thought maybe you found something…"

"It's not us… It's got to be Rona. He must've somehow gotten ahead of us," Keia said.

"I think we should report our findings to Ryth and Vegance then," I suggested. "If Rona's here, we have to find him."

"Right." I brought Keia and Ceae to Ryth and Vegance. I could tell immediately that Vegance was disappointed in us.

"Vegance, guess what Keia and Ceae found!" I exclaimed as we approached.

"It's not the Orb Key," Vegance said in frustration.

"No, but it'll definitely lead us to your travelling energy source," Keia said. She held out a ball of black fur that gleamed in the sunlight. "We found this snagged on a loose nail… It's fresh, so I know it _has_ to be Rona's… Rona might've found the Orb Key before us."

"I shouldn't even ask how he could have done such a thing… If he has it, I don't need to know how he got it," Vegance said.

Ryth took a closer look at the ball of fur. "It's definitely Rona's! We should find him…"

"In these ruins?" Vegance asked while turning to face Ryth. "That could take awhile… But I guess we have no choice. I have no idea _why_ he's moving around these ruins. Maybe he's searching for something else…"

"Or maybe he knew we'd be here, so he's searching for us?" I suggested

"After finding the Orb Key, yes," a voice said behind us. We all whipped around to see Rona approaching while holding a small grey sphere.

"Rona!" Vegance shouted and ran over to hug Rona. "I was a bit worried about you… Only a bit. I thought you were staying behind in the FoxWoods?"

"I was… But I hurried to catch up with you. I saw you all gathered at the fire last night… So I went on ahead to get a head start. Unfortunately, I lost a little part of me in the process…" Rona pointed to his side, in which he was missing a bit of his fur. "It'll grow back, but I have the Wind Key."

"How did you know to search here?" Keia asked Rona.

"I used to seek refuge here, when I worked for the darkness… The Wind Key had no use back then other than to cast an illusion over these ruins… I remembered it while sitting in the FoxWoods."

"What were you thinking about while we were leaving?" I asked.

"I prefer not to talk about it… I just have this feeling that this 'mission' is all for nothing," Rona replied.

"That's funny, because I had the same feeling," Keia pointed out.

"We can't confirm those 'feelings' until we've finished the 'mission,'" I said. "We won't know for sure until the job is done."

"If that's the case," Ryth said, "then we should head to the IcePeak Mountains. We can search for the Ice Key and then ask Rysta for the Light Key."

"And if we find neither?" Rona asked.

"Rysta will deliver us back to the Plains… She should know our mission by now."

"We should get moving then!" I said. "Talking about it won't get us anywhere."

"Agreed," Vegance said. Ryth nodded and started to walk off. Everyone followed without complaint, since Ryth was the only one who knew where the passage to the Heaven-Realm was. As we left the ruins, however, the ground began to shake. I dropped to my knees under the sudden movement and twisted around to see what was going on. The ruins were pulling themselves out of the ground and assembling into something!

"This _can't_ be good," I pointed out to Keia.

"Moving buildings is never good, Cryos," Keia replied. The towers of the ruins gathered as four legs to a body made of adjoined stones. The head appeared to be one of the turrets mixed in with rubble. Atop the turret sat a large, purplish, spherical object that was embedded into the rocky floor. In my opinion, the golem resembled a dragon.

"It would seem that, with the last of the magic energy remaining, the ruins have pulled themselves together to form this beast!" Vegance shouted.

"I forgot to mention… Removal of the main power source, or more specifically the Orb Key, would result in a final defense mechanism designed to retrieve the Key," Rona said. "That way, our hideout could never be brought down."

The golem began moving towards us quickly. For a creature made of stone, it sure moved fast! My group split apart to dive away from the stampeding golem. Rona drew his sword, and together with Ryth, climbed onto the golem's back. Ceae distanced himself from the area. Keia, Vegance, and I all drew our weapons, though we had no idea what to do with them. Rona leapt onto the stone beast's head and plunged his sword into the glowing purple sphere. The golem shook itself around frantically as Rona held on to his sword. Finally, Rona was flung from the golem's head and dropped to the ground at our feet. The golem began to thrash around with no particular pattern and ran around as though it were blind.

"That sphere on its head is its weak point!" Rona shouted. "If hit there, it is blinded with pain and will be uncontrollable!" Rona's sword flew from the sphere and landed on the ground next to Rona. "It may be a little difficult for the sword-wielders to get up there…"

"Rona!" Keia said. "You and Ryth can attack more personally… I'll shoot arrows, and Vegance and Cryos can use magic!"

"Good plan," Rona replied and pulled his sword out of the ground. "You do that." Rona ran back towards the golem. Along the way, I saw him motion towards Ryth. Ryth nodded, and again the two of them climbed onto the golem's back. Vegance and I began to charge our energy while Keia fired a multitude of arrows into the golem's core. Each arrow bounced off, but a chip of the sphere came with it. Ryth, Rona, and Keia all slowly whittled down the golem's core while Vegance and I charged our magic. When the golem turned its gaze to Vegance and I, we unleashed a flurry of ice and lightning upon its core. The magic overloaded the sphere, and the sphere shattered. With its last bit of energy, the golem thrust itself forward before it disassembled. A hailstorm of stones fell upon us all before there was silence. Ceae ran to rejoin us.

"I hope we never need to do that again," I said while panting heavily.

"Why should it matter?" Rona asked. "We have half of the Orb Keys already… The other half remain. This battle is just another to put behind us…"

"We should go to the IcePeak Mountains _now_, unless something else wants to attack us," Ryth said.

"No objections… Meeting with Rysta's power should help us greatly," Vegance said. Without another word, Ryth began to lead us.


	21. The Ice Key

"We are at the foot of the IcePeak Mountains," Ryth said. "On my first journey to Draconia's surface, I was put here… There is a cave far to the north, hidden among the snow… On the other side of the cave is the Stairway to the Heaven-Realm."

"Is it going to be cold?" Keia asked.

"They don't call them the IcePeaks for nothing," Rona replied.

"I would suggest that, once it gets cold, grab someone to stay warm," Vegance said. Keia immediately looked to me. I saw Vegance glance at Rona.

"Don't worry about the cold much," Ryth said. "If you worry too much, we'll never find the Ice Key." Ryth started walking in front of us again while we followed.

Higher up on the mountain, the wind began to pick up and the snow blew across our faces. Keia clung to me and shivered enough for both of us. I was amazed to see that Rona was not bothered by Vegance hanging on to him. Ryth and Ceae, however, seemed unaffected by the cold.

"Ceae, aren't you freezing?" I asked.

Ceae turned to look at me. He was wearing short sleeves and his arms appeared to be caked with snow. "No, not in the least! I like this weather…"

"It would appear that he has a natural immunity to the effects of cold," Rona said.

"Lucky," Keia mumbled. I held her closer to me. "Thanks Cryos…" The wind picked up and started to blow harder. Soon enough, the path could no longer be seen. Despite that fact, Ryth still led as though he knew exactly where he was going.

"Ryth… How can you see in this weather?" I asked.

Ryth grabbed his ears on the top of his head. "See these ears? Fox spirits' ears are like personal tracking devices… They help us to locate ourselves, no matter what the weather is like… That's why fox spirits have such a good sense of direction."

"I was wondering why they were so big…"

"So long as these ears are still attached, I will always know where I am going." The wind began to blow even harder. I had to squint to prevent my eyes from being damaged, but even then my eyes burned. Keia's movements slowed down to the point where I was dragging her. Suddenly, her grip loosened and she dropped off of me. She fell to the ground and lay face down in the snow.

"Keia!" I shouted. Ryth stopped walking and turned around. The others had the same response. I dropped to my knees beside Keia and shook her. "Keia! Keia! Wake up!" Keia was motionless. I lifted her up and pulled her into my arms. "Ryth, we need to get out of this weather! Are there any caves nearby?"

"There is one… Follow me!" Ryth replied. He moved quickly to a nearby opening that was not covered in snow. I followed Ryth into the cave and set Keia down on the bare ground. Vegance let go of Rona so that he could build a fire. As the fire sprang to life, I moved Keia closer to it. I sat down beside her and removed my cloak. I pulled my cloak over her and watched and waited…

After what seemed like forever, Keia finally made a movement. I had been trying everything I possibly could to warm her up, until I had entirely given up and draped my body over hers. My hands rested against her bare back as she tried to nudge me off of her. Everyone else had already gone to search the cave.

"Cryos?" Keia said in bewilderment. "Where are we? What's going on? And why, exactly, are your hands down my shirt?"

I was asleep at the time, but the sound of her voice woke me up. "Keia? Keia! You're awake!" I exclaimed excitedly. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't make it…"

"What happened?" she asked as she rolled over. I pulled my hands away from her and gave her some space.

"You and I were walking through the snow… Following Ryth. Suddenly, you collapsed! We rushed to get you warmth… Rona built a fire, and I tried everything I could to warm you up… I think I fell asleep in the middle of the back massage…"

Keia smiled. "Thanks again, Cryos… I'll let you slide, since your actions seem to have helped me… Where are the others?"

"They left to explore the rest of the cave… Vegance felt an abnormal source of energy nearby, so she and the others went searching for it."

"Oh…" Keia rolled over again, but quickly rolled back. "Cryos? What are those symbols on the wall?"

I looked at Keia in confusion, and then looked around the cave. I did not see any symbols. "What symbols?"

"Those ones!" Keia pointed at the wall I had my back against. I looked up, and then I moved forward and turned around. Strange green symbols glowed on the wall.

"I don't know… They weren't there before…" I tried to read them, but they were not in Draconian. Keia got up from the floor and walked over to the wall. "Keia, what are you doing?" She put her hand to the wall and then quickly turned around.

"They're warm… And oddly enough, they make sense to me," she said. She turned around, and with one finger guided along the symbols. "'Here sleeps a dormant power awaiting the Heroes' return… The power leads them to the Doomsday.'" Keia turned around again to face me. "What do you think it means?"

"I don't know… Maybe we should alert the others of our finding?"

"No… I don't want to. When they're ready to come back, they'll return… I want to stay here with you… Keep me warm?"

I thought for a second. Keia walked back over to me and sat down. "I guess they all can handle themselves… I'll be slacking on my job…"

"You can give me that back massage…" Keia was really tempting me.

"Fine then… I really can't disagree." Keia giggled and lair her head on my shoulder.

Keia and I were sitting closer to the fire when Ryth led Vegance, Rona, and Ceae back. Ryth's attention turned to the wall with the glowing symbols on it. "No wonder! I've been looking for a cave with symbols on the wall, but I had no clue this was it… The symbols weren't here earlier," Ryth said as he rushed to the wall.

"But I thought your ears were good tracking devices? Shouldn't you have known this was the place?" I asked.

"Well, I… Rysta's magic does funny things to the head, and this cave is filled with her power…" Ryth replied.

"Did you find the 'power that lies dormant?'" Keia asked. Everyone's attention became focused on Keia.

"Keia, you made it!" Vegance pointed out.

"Glad to see you're alive…" Rona said.

"Ke-ia! Ke-ia!" Ceae chanted.

"Glad to have you back," Ryth said. "You can read Spiritian?"

"I guess so… Did you find the power?" Keia repeated.

"Right here," Rona said and held out what appeared to be a ball of ice. "The Ice Key… Here." Rona tossed the Ice Key to me. I put it away with the others.

"We also found the Stairway to the Heaven-Realm," Ryth said to me. "We weren't going to go on without you and Keia."

"Stairway to the Heaven-Realm… To get to meet Rysta would be quite an honor," Keia said. "Is it far from here?"

"It's not too far into the cave," Vegance said. "Actually, the Ice Key was at the back, but the Stairway began near the middle. It won't take long to get there."

"I just hope everyone is ready to walk," Ryth said. "The Stairway to the Heaven-Realm is a long climb… I asked Rysta if she could put in a highway or something, but so far, no."

"A highway to the Heaven-Realm?" I asked. "What would you call such a thing?"

"The Highway in the Sky. Cool name, right?" Ryth asked with a smile.

"Let's just take the Stairway," Rona said and walked off. Ryth turned to look at me and I shrugged. Without another word, we followed after Rona.

The Stairway was a collection of transparent stairs. They started upward from the middle of one of the chambers and led through a hole in the ceiling of the cave. I looked up to try and see the top of the Stairway, but was unable to.

"Here is the access to the Heaven-Realm," Ryth said. "Long way up, and if you can't walk it, start crawling. _This_ is why I asked for a highway."

"I can't see the top," I said.

"If you could see the top of the stairs from the ground, then the Heaven-Realm is too close to Draconia. Are you ready?" I nodded. Keia, Ceae, Vegance, and Rona all nodded as well.

'I'm going to count these stairs,' I thought to myself. Ryth took the first step and was followed by everyone else. I took up the rear and started to count as I went.

"Ryth, how high is this thing?" I asked from behind. Thus far, I had counted 783 stairs, and still going. I still was unable to see the top.

"No clue… No one's ever counted the steps to get to the Heaven-Realm…" Ryth replied. I sighed and continued climbing stairs.

I was relieved when we finally reached the top of the Stairway. I counted 1,387 stairs. Why was there an odd number of steps? I fell to my knees after that climb and took a moment to breath. Ryth acted as though it were nothing! I looked around: oddly enough, the Heaven-Realm had stone flooring and large golden gates leading into what appeared to be an ancient city. Just beyond the gates was a fountain containing a statue depicting a woman. In further detail, it was a woman with very little clothing. A man with wings and full-body armor stood beside the golden gates.

"Here in the Heaven-Realm," Ryth started, "you might forget you aren't in Draconia. There are cities here, most of which were built by ancient fox spirits, and thus appear to be old cities in the sky. Linking the many cities is a series of light bridges. The city we search for we refer to as Babylon, Spiritian for 'Center of Light.' There, we will find Rysta's palace. She should be able to help us find the Light Key."

"How far is Babylon?" Keia asked.

"We have to pass through a series of districts here in Omega before we can move to the next city, Zeta… And from Zeta, we can travel to Babylon," Ryth attempted to explain.

"How about you just lead us, since you seem to know where everything is?" I asked.

"Good idea," Vegance said. "Ryth, lead."

"Right away!" Ryth started by taking us to the golden gates to speak with the guard…


	22. Omega, Zeta, Babylon

As we approached the guard at the gate, he perked up and saluted us. It was clear that he and Ryth knew one another. Ryth smiled a friendly smile and met with the guard alone.

"Ryth, sir! Welcome back!" the guard stated enthusiastically. "Who are the others?"

"They are," Ryth said as he pointed to each of us, "Prince Cryos of Draconia… Keia Luminachi, friend of Cryos… Ceae, another friend of Cryos… Vegance… And Rona Slove, the very one I went off to search for."

"Pleased to meet your acquaintances," the guard said to us. He turned back to Ryth. "So, what is your business in the Heaven-Realm?"

"We need to speak to Rysta," Ryth said.

"Rysta? Well, that should not come as a surprise to me… After all, you _are_ her messenger…"

"Yeah, I know. Is m'Lady available?"

"Very much so. You know the way to Babylon, so go right in." The guard waved his hand in front of the gates and they opened in an instant. As we stepped through into the city of Omega, Ryth waved back at the guard.

Keia stopped walking soon after we got through the gates. "Ryth, you never told us that you were Rysta's messenger…"

"I thought I did?" Ryth replied.

"Actually, no, you never mentioned it," Vegance said.

"Oh… Must've slipped my mind. You all know it now… I run errands for Rysta. She was the one who sent me to find Rona…"

"I thought you did it on your own free will?" Rona asked.

"Look, being Rysta's messenger is supposed to be a secret job… No one is supposed to know who her messengers are, because that makes it a little harder to change peoples' minds if they know exactly who you are. No one else in Draconia is to know my role, understand?"

"I have no problem keeping it a secret… Promise," I said. Everyone else nodded.

"Good! Then we travel through the west district of this city and access the light bridge to Zeta. Zeta's much smaller than Omega, so making it out of Omega will be the hard part. However, the walk to Rysta's palace in Babylon will be fairly hard… Babylon's the CentraCity of the Heaven-Realm."

"Oh, fun!" I said sarcastically. "Does it look almost the same?"

"I wouldn't know… I've never actually been to the CentraCity," Ryth replied.

"Just lead us there," Rona said. "I'm tired of standing around."

"Okay, okay…" Ryth led us further into the city. After we passed the fountain, the city really started to develop! A multitude of buildings towered above our heads, each made of stone and showing age by displaying plant-life growing on their sides. Many smaller fountains were scattered along the streets for public use: this I knew because some of the citizens used them to fill buckets or containers or even just to drink out of. I scooped some water out of one of the fountains with my hand and took a sip. The water was so clear, clean, and refreshing! There was no such water on Draconia as this…

Many of the spirits watched as we passed by. They must not have been used to the sight of living beings in their Realm. Many were fox spirits, the majority of which were in spirit form. Some were living fox spirits, but they were few. They too must have been Rysta's messengers, running errands around the Heaven-Realm. There were human spirits too, but we were the only living humans around. There were older humans' spirits, middle-aged, and even children… Death seems to come to anyone, regardless of age.

Ryth led us past many buildings, but to me they were all the same. I would imagine that living in the Heaven-Realm would be an eternity of being lost, but I guess if you lived there, you would have eternity to find your way.

In the center of Omega was a round tower by which everything seemed to grow off of. I could see atop this tower a large sphere that spun in place and gleamed in the sunlight. Just staring at it filled me with a powerful emotion of happiness… I felt as though there were no problems in the world… I was snapped out of my trance when someone put their hand on my shoulder.

"Please try not to stare at the sphere… It is what keeps the citizens here happy… If you stare too long at it, you'll never want to leave," Ryth explained. I turned my gaze away from the sphere. Ryth pointed ahead. "You've been fixated on everything for so long, you haven't even realized that we're almost to the light bridge, have you?"

"Huh?" I shook my head. "I guess not… Time _does_ fly by…"

Ryth gathered us at a shorter stone structure by which a transparent light expanded across an unseen ground. To either side of the "bridge," a stone establishment stood and acted as a barrier that must have been used to filter travelers onto the expanse of light. The bridge was large enough that two people could pass each other with plenty of elbow room. Ryth stopped us at the start of the bridge.

"When walked on the bridge, looking down, you will see clouds… And between breaks of clouds, you may see Draconia so far below. Don't worry about falling off the bridge, however… Unseen force fields prevent that act," Ryth explained. He pointed down the length of the bridge. "You can see Zeta from here, and…" Ryth moved his hand to the right and pointed at another distant shadow. "You can see Babylon over there." From the shadow, I could make out a tower that overlooked all other buildings. Surrounding the top of the tower were floating rings, and high above the rest of the city were larger floating rings.

Ryth took us onto the light bridge. Upon setting foot on it, it began to pull me along. "Wow! It's like walking on moving air!" I said.

"Light must stay in constant motion for it to be seen," Ryth said. "The light is strong enough here to pull you along. You can walk, or you can rest."

"Now would be a good time to rest our legs," Keia said and sat down. Ceae and I sat down as well without a complaint. Vegance, Rona, and Ryth remained standing. The light pulled us all along. We had time enough to enjoy the sights of Draconia far below and the passing clouds. Armored angels flew above in the open sky all around us.

"The Angels are Rysta's bodyguards and warriors… They protect the Heaven-Realm," Ryth pointed out.

I nodded. "Rysta sure has life well up here… Amazing cities, personal protectors, a great view of the world below… And her own personal messengers as well! She has more than I ever had back in Draconia…"

"Cryos," Keia said. "You had all of that… The amazing city, personal guards and messengers, and a great view from the turret… I've seen it once or twice before. You and Rysta are not much different…"

"Yes, but… Why am I complaining? I should be thankful for what I've got…"

"Yes, you should," Vegance said. "You could have had a worse life… Be thankful for what you have."

I was silent for a second. "You know, I used to complain about having to take this journey… This 'mission…' But now, I realize, it was better for me… I get to leave and see the world, meet new people, experience life from a different point of view… I am very thankful for what I have, _who_ I have…" I looked around from Keia to Ceae, Vegance, Rona, and Ryth. "While we're asking Rysta about the Light Key… I have to speak to her."

"I'll tell her that you need to put a word in," Ryth told me.

Keia, Ceae, and I all rose to our feet as we approached Zeta. The buildings were still made of stone, but they were smaller and appeared more like houses.

"The reason Zeta is considered smaller than Omega is because it is a residential town, rather than a commercial town," Ryth started. "In the Heaven-Realm, residential towns or cities are where the spirits live… Some fox spirits choose to reside here as well. Commercial towns or cities, usually cities, are more for developing the Heaven-Realm and for use in building new towns and cities… Zeta is residential, so it is small and will not take long to travel through."

I thought for a moment as we approached Zeta. The activities some of the residents participated in almost reminded me of a small suburban town, the type that Draconia lacks today. Everyone appeared happy, but some of their smiles faded upon seeing us "outsiders." I looked to Ryth. "What kind of city does Babylon count as? Residential or commercial?" I asked.

"Neither… It is the capitol, largest city here… People live _and_ produce there… So I guess it's mixed," Ryth replied.

We stepped off of the light bridge and into Zeta. The sidewalks were filled with people, most of which were practicing a form of work that would normally be found in Draconia. "Ryth, what do people do here for eternity?" Keia asked.

"The spirits increase their knowledge by learning new things or even continuing the work they did in their material lives… Thinkers will think and produce new ideas, new solutions to old problems… Inventors make new gadgets from air… They have forever to do as they please."

"They are cursed then," Vegance said, "because they are unable to share their ideas with the world…"

"That's why Rysta has messengers… To send the best ideas down to Draconia," Ryth said. We walked past another large fountain depicting the same woman we had seen in Omega.

"Rysta," I mumbled.

"Huh?" Keia turned to face me. "What are you talking about?"

I pointed at the fountain. "The statue must be Rysta… The same statue was in Omega."

Keia blinked. "You're right… She must really be loved here in the Heaven-Realm…"

"And in Draconia too."

Within very little time, we reached the next light bridge. Again, Ceae, Keia, and I all sat down to rest as the bridge pulled us along. Ryth, Rona, and Vegance remained standing. I never once questioned why they chose to stand: I knew they were all stronger than I was.

This light bridge was shorter than the one from Omega to Zeta. Whereas that one took us an hour or so to travel, this one ended in less than ten minutes. We were all on our feet again as we entered Babylon. The traffic here was much denser than it was in Omega and Zeta combined! People walked and ran in every direction. Angels flew above in the city skies, keeping an eye out just in case. A central tower rose up far above the surrounding buildings. Upon being closer, I could actually see that the rings atop this tower were rotating.

"Rysta's palace heads Babylon, so people needing to see Rysta from neighboring cities need not walk so far to find it," Ryth said.

"It looks tall… Is Rysta's chamber at the top?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, yes," Ryth replied.

"More stairs?" Ceae asked in a whiny voice.

"Actually, no. I insisted she put in an elevator after the first time I had to use the stairs… I actually had to build the elevator myself."

Rona looked to Ryth and nudged him. "If it stops working before we get to the top, I'm teleporting back and using the stairs." Ryth shot Rona a glare before taking us to the palace.

At the entrance to the palace, the guards watched us carefully. When they saw Ryth, they nodded and stepped aside to let us in. The doors slid open themselves and led into a lobby. We gathered inside. I could see an open doorway on the right with stairs leading upwards, and at the back of the room was a round protuberance. Ryth led us to the circular section of wall and pressed a button on the side. A pair of doors slid open to reveal a small room much like the one we had crowded into at Dave's base. Again, the six of us crowded into a small room. Ryth pressed a button and the doors closed. We were shot upwards _so_ fast that I could feel my stomach shoot down into my leg.

When we were at the top, we all stepped out into a large room. Oddly enough, it was larger than the lobby at the base of the tower. There was only one other person in this room: the woman that had been sculpted into the fountains. She had her back turned to us as she watched through the window. Ryth stepped into the middle of the room and dropped to his knee.

"M'Lady Rysta, I am here to seek help," Ryth said.

"Short and to the point… I've always liked you for that, Ryth," Rysta said and turned around. I looked from Rysta to Keia and back again. Rysta was unmistakably the most perfect-looking woman I had ever seen in my life. "And you have brought the Heroes from Draconia as well…"

"It's what you wanted me to do, m'Lady," Ryth said.

"Wait… You knew about us?" I asked.

"Since before you were even brought into this world… It is hard to ignore the coming of a peaceful age… It is part of being omniscient," Rysta said. "You Heroes began to prove yourselves as well when you started to collect the Orb Keys… I had imagined you all would gather here to meet with me at some point in time."

"It's hard to hide anything from m'Lady Rysta," Ryth said.

"Then you should know why we're here," Keia said.

"Of course… You seek the Light Key. I can grant it to you… You have proven that your intentions are pure… However, how you should use that Key is up to you… And the final outcome will be left up to Fate…"

"What?" Rona had finally spoken up. This was actually the first time I had heard him say anything since we had arrived here. "What do you mean by that?"

"I don't control your Destinies or Fates… I only watch things unfold. True, I created both entities to govern life while leaving enough room for free will… But they are beyond my control."

"Rysta, what does the future hold for us?" I asked.

"Depending on your actions, you will either gain a powerful ally, or you will help set in motion the end of the world… You six Heroes determine our future and how the world will be at the end of this war… My only warning is to watch out for Sen… My brother seems to have something planned, and it appears he knows the more likely outcome."

"Rysta, can you expand on what you have told us?" Vegance asked.

"I'm afraid not… If I told you everything that could happen, what good would it be to have free will? You must find out for yourself." Rysta winked at me.

"M'Lady, the Light Key," Ryth said quickly.

"Oh, right!" Rysta held out her hand. There was a swirling of light into her hand, and that light gathered into a sphere. "This is the Light Key you Heroes seek… Take it." Rysta handed it to Ryth. Ryth passed it back to me. I put it away with the others.

"That was a lot easier than I expected," I said.

"You have two more Key to find: Fire and Water. I'm sure you know the locations, right?" Rysta asked.

"Yeah. We planned all of this out before we even started… Ryth had the idea to see you for the Light Key," I explained.

"If you need, I can return you to the Draconian Plains," Rysta offered. "You can go your own way from there." Vegance and Keia nodded in unison. I nodded, and then Rona, then Ceae.

Ryth nodded last. "If you wouldn't mind… But first, how about that Highway in the Sky?"

Rysta laughed gently. "I'll think about it. Everyone, gather here in the middle." We all gathered around Ryth. Rysta lifted her arms into the air and a light surrounded us. "Take care, okay? I'm watching over all of you… One way or another, your actions _will_ bring peace to Draconia… How you act, however, determines how much work will be in it for you." Ryth waved one last time at Rysta. The wall of light blotted out the surrounding world. I felt a rush of wind, and then the light dissipated. We were now standing in the Plains fairly close to the rubble of the stone golem.

Rona was the first to speak. "We should watch what we do from now on… Rysta mentioned more than once that our actions will affect the future… She's warning us against something."

"But what?" I asked. "Keia told me she had a feeling that we were deceived from the beginning… Rysta warns us about Sen… I think we should hurry and finish this battle. I think we should split up…"

"Split up? Split up?" Vegance appeared very upset about the idea. "Why should we? We have to face a very powerful fire demon in the Wastelands… That will require all of our efforts…"

"Yes, but the more we have fighting, the greater the chances of losing someone important… I'm feeling confident that Ryth, Rona, and I can take care of it. Vegance, you wanted to see the ocean… You, Keia, and Ceae can cover that ground. That way, both groups have a fighter, a thinker, and a healer. We can gain the other two Keys at the same time. Is it a plan?" I looked from face to face. Everyone returned a serious look, but there were no objections.

"It's a good idea," Keia said. "Actually, we can save time _and_ energy… I'll lead Vegance and Ceae." She separated herself from us. Ceae went by her side, followed by Vegance. Ryth and Rona joined me.

"Good luck out there," I said. "May Rysta protect you all."

"Rysta keep you guys safe too," Vegance replied. Ryth, Rona, and I started in the direction of the Magmanian Wastelands, while Keia, Vegance, and Ceae headed to the Maringan Shores. I turned to look back once more as we left, a sort of "goodbye" glance to Keia.


	23. A Desert Before Flame

As my group approached the boundary between the Wastelands and the Plains, it was clear where one area started and the next began. The grass at the edges of the Plains began to turn brown, and then it changed and appeared more reddish and grew taller. The ground beneath us grew more rocky and then dropped off suddenly. We had reached a cliff overlooking an expanse of desert sands.

"I don't ever remember seeing a desert," I said.

"From a distance, the desert makes its own mirages to cover itself," Rona explained. "What did it seem like to you?"

"From the castle turrets, it looked like a continuation of the Plains…"

"We have to cross this desert before we will reach the volcanic section of the Wastelands," Ryth said. "Imagine, if a desert can create illusions from afar, what it could do when you're in it."

"Stick close and you won't get lost," Rona told me. He and Ryth began climbing down the rocky cliff into the desert.

'Perhaps I should have just gone with Keia instead… Too late to turn back now.' I followed after Ryth and Rona. I nearly stumbled as I set foot on the sand. From here, the air turned much warmer.

"It's as though this desert is set in a zone all its own," I mumbled.

"That's because it is," Rona said. He started to walk out into the desert, as though attracted to an energy source. Ryth and I followed. As we went further, the wind began to blow…

We had not been walking long before the wind blew all around us in every direction. Some gusts picked up large streams of sand and whipped it across our faces. For Ryth and Rona, the sand stuck in their fur, causing them to slowly blend with the desert. For me, the wind blew hard enough for the sand to scratch up my face. I drew my cloak over my head tightly to minimize the damages, but my vision was severely limited. Through the airborne sand, I could hardly see Ryth and Rona anymore, and I feared saying anything. I did not want to choke on sand.

At one point, I had lost Ryth and Rona… But their movement led me back to them. I stayed as close as possible to them, however, circumstances seemed to disallow that. I slowed down a bit as I heard the wind gathering behind us. I swung around and gawked at the sight of a funnel of sand building up from the sand dunes. I was not very far away, so I tugged on Ryth and Rona's shoulders and pointed back at it. Without a word, they both took off running. I chased after them in hopes of staying nearby, but the sand beneath me gave way and I feel to the ground. In a panic, I struggled to get up, but the sand continued to shift under my weight. I wanted to scream "Wait!" but it refused to come out under all of this sand. I managed to roll over onto my back and I watched as the sandstorm approached at a rapid pace. I waited for a few seconds as my impending doom grew closer… I closed my eyes at the last second as it passed over me…

A spark of shock ran through me as I felt the world come back to me. Was this still Draconia? Had I survived? The world was black and very warm where I lay. I felt compressed, more than likely under a layer of sand, if I were still in the desert. I worked my muscles hard to lift an arm and break through the sand. I raised my arm into the air and reached for something, anything… I felt cold air above. I lifted my other arm out of the sand and, using nothing but my hands, attempted to dust away the sand that covered me. I started with my body and worked my way over my head…

When finally the sand that covered me was gone except for my legs, I sat upright and breathed in fresh air. The air was cool and dry, and odd mixture I had never felt before. The land was dark and the sky was marked with stars. I dragged my legs out of the sand and tried to stand; my legs would not allow it. I sat in place for a little while. Where were Ryth and Rona? Should they be here, or is this just another dream? Had I somehow been tricked into searching for the Fire Key alone?

As the questions repeated themselves in my head, I looked around from where I sat. Still the environment was nothing but sand dunes with an occasional tuft of red grass. The world sat still, covered with a blanket of silence. Again I tried to stand. I pushed off the sand, which was now somewhat compacted. I shakily rose to my feet. Now, I just needed to start walking. I moved one leg forward, lost my balance, and fell back to a sitting position.

'Damn,' I thought. I continued to try until was successful. I walked, alone, along the desert wastes. I looked out on the horizon, searching for any possible sign of Ryth or Rona. No footprints in the sand could be seen. There were no landmarks of any sort. For the first time, I messed with the buttons on my arm guard in hopes of finding Ryth or Rona's current position. I cycled through screens and searched for Rona. A text displayed "Out of range." I repeated for Ryth, and again, "Out of range."

"They definitely went off without me," I said aloud. I tried to find a map of the area, until I ran across a blank screen with text saying "Map unavailable."

"Next time I'm in the CentraCity, I need to talk to the blacksmith about giving me faulty equipment…" Left to nothing but instinct now, I was forced to tread the unseen path across the desert.

For some time, the world resembled itself, as though trapped in a never-ending circle. Sand, everywhere, and not a lick of water or a wayward landmark. I traveled until day came, bringing with it the oppressive heat characteristic of an arid environment. At least the sand had stopped blowing…

Finally, after what was the longest _and_ most fruitless walk ever, I spotted something unusual on the horizon. There was a tree in the middle of the desert. I imagined it was a false illusion, since Rona had warned against such things. However, I felt as though the tree were summoning me to it.

'It couldn't hurt to check it out… I mean, I'll still be wandering lost in the desert anyways.' I approached the tree with hopes of either civilization or water.

As the tree and I grew closer to one another, more and more trees sprang up on the horizon. I was still unwilling to expend my energy running to it because it could still may as well be a mirage.

What I thought was odd was that, as I came closer, the trees never disappeared! It became clearer now what the trees surrounded: more sand, and a large blue circle. For a second, I thought. Then it occurred to me that a blue circle in the middle of the desert could be only be one thing: water! I picked up my feet and let them take me to the oasis I was seeing. So close to it, I stumbled, accidentally ran into one of the trees, and fell to the ground. That tree was definitely real. I got back up and put one hand against the trunk. The tree was cool to the touch, even under the desert heat, and it was as solid as any. That had to mean that this was no illusion! I dropped my packs and plopped down beside the water's edge. With my hands, I scooped the water rapidly into my mouth. Instantly, the dry that filled my body was relieved and I felt my strength returning. A tingling feeling ran through my fingertips. I splashed some water on my face and basked in the sudden happiness that overcame me. When I was done splashing in the water, I pulled out a bottle and filled it to the rim with water, just in case.

From my waterside seat, I looked around to see what else I could find. Some of the trees bore fruits of all sorts. I looked around for a rock or something (since I was hungry) and upon finding one, steadied my aim and tossed it hard. The rock hit a bundle of fruit at the stem and the bundle fell to the ground. I put aside all else to get to the fruit and started eating. I had not had anything to eat for awhile, and the desert's trials had worn me out.

As I ate, I could faintly hear a soft humming sound. The humming grew a bit louder and began to sound like a woman humming. I began to feel somewhat nervous, but strangely calmed as well. I ate a little slower. Suddenly, I heard a voice.

"Enjoying yourself?" The voice was that of a woman's, sounding free and gentle and almost like a soft breeze in my ear. "You know, I don't get very many visitors…" I continued to eat and tried to ignore the voice. I stopped ignoring when a young woman stepped before me. Her hair was long and brunette and her skin was tanned. She wore a warm smile, appropriate for the desert terrain. "I won't hurt you… I know you're lost."

"Are you a mirage?" I finally asked.

"As real as the desert itself… My name is Uyala, and I am the Watcher of Sands… I am a spirit that helps travelers that come across my oasis."

"If that's the case, I'm in the need of help," I said.

"What is it that you need?" Uyala asked.

"I entered this desert with two others," I started. "Two fox spirits, to be exact. Anyway, a storm hit and we were separated… Well, I was separated from them. I need to find them desperately because we're supposed to be searching together for the Fire Key."

"The Fire Key is around the Kesu Rim in the volcanic area of the Wastelands," Uyala told me.

"Yeah, I know, but I'm not headed there until I find Ryth and Rona."

"Now that I think about it… I think they may have come by here at one point. They were talking to each other about finding some kind of civilization." Uyala pointed towards an expanse of dunes. "They headed that way. If you travel that way far enough, there should be a town… I'll keep the weather nice for you until you find your way."

"Thank you… Thank you… I really appreciate the help," I muttered.

"And feel free to take as much of that fruit with you as you want." I smiled and packed a few extra pieces of fruit into my pack. I got up from where I sat and started off in the direction Uyala had directed me to go…

For awhile, the sand I treaded on resembled the sand from before: same color, same texture, and loosely packed. I had come to accept that I may forever be lost travelling these shifting sands, at least until the ground beneath my feet changed. The ground became somewhat harder and more densely packed. Before long, I saw a group of tents gathered together not too far away. 'A town!' I thought. A smile came to my face, but I was not in a hurry. I took my time and saved my energy.

The town was quiet and there were no people outside. There was still sand, but it was very compacted here like solid ground. That might actually explain why there were no towns anywhere else in the desert. Actually, this "town" seemed more like a settlement, with fewer than twenty identical tents. I stood in the center of the settlement and waited; it would be rude to just run into someone else's tent. Almost on queue, one of the tent flaps opened and a man stepped out. His skin and hair were dark and he wore quite a bit of clothing for someone who lived in the desert. He turned his head around as though searching for something, but he stopped as he came across my puzzled expression.

"Another visitor!" the man shouted. His accent was very heavy and was a bit hard to understand. As a result of his shouting, several people poured out of the tents: women, men, children, most of which were dressed in a lot of clothing. Some of the men held blunt weapons and clubs, and others spears. They must have been the militia of the settlement.

'Did he say _another_ visitor?' I asked myself. If it weren't for the faces the armed men made at me, I would feel reassured. One of the men approached me and held a spear to my neck.

"It is not common to get visitors out here…" The man's voice was deep and gravelly. "Only those sent by our great desert goddess, Uyala, should be allowed to arrive here. Today, you are our third visitor. Why?"

"I'm the third?" I asked in anticipation. "Were the other two fox spirits?"

The man looked from me to another nearby. The other man shrugged. "Describe 'em."

"Well, they're tall… And furry. Big bushy tails, and—"

"Then they are fox spirits," the man interrupted. "Tell me, are they friends of yours?"

"Actually, yeah… I got separated from them in a sandstorm… Have they been through here?"

"They've been here alright," the man said and chuckled. "But they never left. We thought they were monsters from the mainland."

"No, no… We have no harmful intentions. We only seek to find the Fire Key near the Kesu Rim." Some of the women gasped quietly. The man who held the spear to my neck pulled his weapon away.

"Then it is not my place to stop you… Why kill you now, when you will die anyway by the fire demon Kesu?"

"That's why I brought fox spirits along," I said. "Where are they?" The man snapped his fingers and a couple of the armed men entered a nearby tent. A minute later, Ryth and Rona were both brought out with spears to their backs. "Ryth! Rona!" I smiled.

"Cryos!" Ryth exclaimed. He seemed happy to see me too.

"What took you so long?" Rona asked in an angry tone.

"I got sidetracked," I started. "That sandstorm buried me alive… A beautiful woman named Uyala told me where to find you…"

"Still took your time…"

"So… You three are headed up into the volcanic area?" the gravelly-voiced man asked.

"Yes," I replied.

"Take your foxes with you, and if you _do_ make it out alive, be sure to come back and tell us _all_ about it!" The man laughed a deep rumbling laugh and sent us three back off into the sands.

As we walked away, I said, "Aren't _they_ a hospitable group of people?"

"Yeah, sure," Rona replied. "I don't think being locked up for twelve hours counts as 'hospitable.'"

"They could have at least given us food," Ryth whimpered. "I'm hungry…" I opened my sack and handed Ryth one of the fruits I had taken with me earlier. "Oh, thanks!" Ryth ate through the piece of fruit in a couple of minutes.

"I just want to get this Key and get out of here," Rona said. He definitely seemed to be in a bad mood. I turned around to look back once. It seemed that the wind had picked up again, because all that was behind us was another wall of flying sand…


	24. The Fire Key

The thing I liked most about Draconia was how easy it was to determine where one territory began and another ended. Boundaries were always clear cut, and the border between the desert and the volcanic section of the Wastelands was no exception. The sand suddenly halted and a path made of dark red and black stone paved the way into the volcanic area known as the Magmanian Wastes. Ryth, Rona, and I followed the path up into the volcanic fields, and at the top of the path was a horizon of mountains that have yet to blow their tops and volcanoes that ran with liquid magma. I had through that the shifting sands were bad, but it appeared as though this entire volcanic field were made from several eruptions beneath the ground. The ground we stood on was very unstable and could possibly break under our weight. Rona pointed at a distant object.

"That, there, is the largest volcano in the area: the Kesu Rim," he pointed out. "If you thought the desert was bad… This region will remain the worst in Draconia. We have to cross these unstable volcanic fields to get to the Kesu Rim. I hope you're light on your feet."

I looked down at my feet. "I sure hope so…"

"Beware of erupting magma geysers, and some of the volcanoes in the area are known to blow their tops frequently. Watch the sky for falling debris."

"Hope you know how to keep your 'cool,' Cryos," Ryth joked.

Ryth and I followed Rona onto the volcanic field. Several holes were spread throughout the area where magma constantly spewed into the air. Many cracks ran through this ground where hot steam would sometimes escape from the ground below. I imagined that any sudden pressure or even a rock falling from the sky would shatter the earth beneath us and lead us all to a fiery death. As those thoughts crossed my mind, I could not help but slow my steps and act more carefully.

Rona turned around and gave me a look. "Why the hesitation?" he asked. "Keep up!"

"I'm sorry…" I mumbled. "I feel uneasy. I have this bad feeling that things are about to get bad." As though triggered by what I said, a distant explosion marked the eruption of not _one_ of the volcanoes, but _two_. From the top of the Kesu Rim, a large spherical light rose up like a distant eye to watch us suffer. Rona looked to the sky. Ryth looked to the ground.

"Uh… Rona?" Ryth asked. "Something tells me we should run… _Now_." He pointed at the ground. The labyrinth of cracks in the ground began to split apart beneath our feet. This I knew because the magma underneath was starting to be revealed. Ryth and Rona ran off while I was watching the cracks, so I was already behind. I leapt off the ground where I stood and took flight along the ground. I dodged the cracks that were splitting open and reached for solid footholds. Many times I looked down and watched my feet; my feet only deepened the cracks that were appearing.

I sped up when a sickening crunch and a liquid splash sounded behind me. My instinct told me that the ground was collapsing just behind. Just ahead, Ryth and Rona had stopped running. Perhaps they had found stable ground! They were hurrying me as the ground gave way at my heels. When I was close enough to Ryth and Rona, I dove from the ground to where they stood. I landed hard on my stomach and winced in pain. I rolled over slowly to survey how close I was: the ground was gone with no means of return.

"That was too close," Ryth said.

"You're telling me!" I shouted while huffing and puffing. "I almost died a painful death…"

"Any closer, and my tail would've been cooked," Rona said. Ryth and I both looked at him and laughed. "What?"

"That doesn't sound like something you'd say," I pointed out. "You've been around Ryth too long." Rona tried not to smile and went off ahead. Ryth helped me up and we both followed.

Rona led us through a short pass between two mountains. On the other side were a great number of wooden sticks poking out of the ground. To me, they were unimportant, but Ryth and Rona became very quiet. Among these sticks was a single larger one that rose up higher than all of the others. This one had branches, though it was as dead as the others. A single brown leaf waved in the wind near the top of the stick.

"Rona… What happened here?" I asked.

"Something tells me there used to be a forest here," Rona said, "but there is no longer. The volcanic activity must have been the end of it."

"I believe Kesu was the source," Ryth said. He held onto the single tree with his hand. "This forest was destroyed when Kesu came… He turned this mountain range into a deadly battery of volcanoes… A magma battery, if you will," he added.

"That has to mean that Kesu is somewhere near," I said.

"Yes," Rona replied. "His volcano is just beyond this scorched Wood."

"We have to do something about him…"

"That's what we're here for," Ryth mentioned.

"Let's go," Rona ordered. He led as we walked through the charred remains of the forest. Twigs snapped under our feet as we went. I actually wondered once how fox spirits could be so used to stepping on twigs with their bare feet. It would seem as though it came naturally to them…

I took up the rear, and many of the "trees" I touched snapped off easily. Many of the "trees" that Ryth touched swung back and hit me in the face. I was thankful to get out on the other side.

On the other end of the Wood, there was a tall rock wall shooting up into the sky. Lines of magma intertwined along the surface of the rocky wall. A twisting path ran up the side of the wall.

"This is the Kesu Rim," Rona said, "so named after Kesu. Inside is where the Fire Key has to be… This won't be an easy battle."

"I just had an idea," I said. "Perhaps we can sneak in and steal the Key? Maybe we can avoid this battle…"

"Kesu never sleeps… He remains awake, vigilant to be prepared for anything." Rona looked to the sky. "Once we're in, the battle has already begun."

"There's no way around it?" I asked in curiosity.

"I think that's what he just said," Ryth told me.

"When you're ready, we will head up into the Rim," Rona said. I nodded. I took a quick look around, drew a deep breath, let it out, and nodded again.

"I'm ready," I said. Rona did not say anything else, but he led Ryth and I up the path into the Kesu Rim.

The path was simple: it led around the side of the volcano, was about three feet wide, and was fairly safe for a volcanic path. It was long too. After going in circles for a few minutes, I had begun to hate the path.

The top of the Kesu Rim was just as circular as the path leading up to it. There was a wave of heat rising from the inside of the volcano. I had not been sweating before (due to my natural coldness), but this heat wave burned me enough to cause me to sweat. I looked down into the volcano, but could not see the bottom. Actually, the volcano looked empty. Another path much like the one before led down into the darkness.

"Rona, I can't see the bottom," I said.

"You won't until we get there," Rona said. "Kesu lives deep in the heart of this volcano… He knows we're coming, so the volcano shouldn't erupt now… Come, into the darkness." Rona again led us. I put my hand against the wall as a means to find my way in the darkness, but quickly pulled away. The walls were painfully hot. I slowly made my way downwards while clinging to Ryth's shoulders.

We went down through what must have been a hole. This I know because I hit my head on it as we went through. At the other end of the tunnel, there was an orange light. We stepped out into a large circular chamber with an edging that ran along the wall. In the center of the room was a large pit filled with magma. I heard a distant sound of movement below as I looked into the magma. Rona pulled me back.

"This is Kesu's chamber… You'll want to be careful around that pit," he told me. A bubbling noise could be heard in the magma below, and then a large bestial creature rose up from the fiery pit. It had an eye on its back and two deep red eyes on its head. Two horns sprouted from its head and crossed each other at the middle. I could see a tail wagging in the back behind the beast. It emitted a loud, rumbling growl. Then, a deep, dark voice was heard echoing throughout the chamber, though the beast never once opened its mouth.

"You are Heroes… I know why you are here," Kesu said (I guessed it was Kesu).

"Everybody seems to know what we're doing by now," I replied.

"You want my Fire Key… Do you have courage enough to possess it?"

"We came all the way here," Rona said. "That should be courage enough."

"I mean… Courage enough to slay a beast for it? I won't just hand it to you…"

"As Heroes, it seems our job is to kill you anyways," Ryth said. "So, let's get this over with."

"You are bold… And so am I." Kesu pulled up a single arm, revealing a multitude of claws. He swung his arm at us all. I jumped backwards away from it and Rona and Ryth teleported away. I looked up at Kesu: he was at least fifty times bigger than me. A feeling of helplessness surged through me. I almost dropped my sword, but Ryth snapped me out of it.

"Cryos! Wake up!" he shouted. "Distract him long enough for Rona and I to kill him!" I nodded and whistled at Kesu.

"Hey! Hey you!" I shouted. Kesu continued to glare at me. "I bet you can't catch me!" I ran to the right along the outer edge of the room. Kesu's gaze followed me, so I continued to run. My running stopped when Kesu threw down an arm in front of me. I turned and ran in the other direction, but he threw his other arm down as well. A few globs of magma flew into the air above Kesu's head. One by one they were launched at me. I dodged one and threw up a wall of ice. The second one, however, hit the ice wall and melted it instantly.

"Rona, do something!" I shouted. Kesu roared out in pain, and then magma balls were dropped. Kesu swung around and knocked me down with his arm. I stood back up and noticed that Ryth and Rona were taking turns stabbing into Kesu's eye.

"It seems that over the years, your eye has gone blind," I heard Rona shout. Kesu tried reaching back to swipe them off of his back, but was unable to reach. Rona plunged his sword into Kesu's eye all the way up to the hilt. Rona leapt off of Kesu's back, followed by Ryth. Kesu roared once more, and then sunk into the magma. Rona's sword flew up and landed in the ground at Rona's feet. Atop it was a small red orb. Rona took it and passed it to me.

"The Fire Key," he said.

"That was actually pretty easy," I said. Suddenly, the ground began to shake and the magma in the center pit started to rise. "Um… I think we should get out of here."

"Good idea," Ryth said and led us. Why _he_ led us, I was not sure, but he was moving fast. We went back through the tunnel, the magma at our heels. We moved even faster as we climbed back to the surface.

At the top of the volcano, the magma slowed just a bit. This gave us all enough time to get down the mountain path and into the scorched forest before the magma started pouring down the side of the volcano. Ryth and Rona ran through the sticks quickly. I was rapidly approaching a taller stick, so I imagined I would jump over it. In the process, however, my leg was caught on it and a gash was torn in my leg. I dropped to the ground instantly and screamed in pain. Ryth and Rona both turned around. Rona noticed me and rushed to get to me. He lifted me in his arms and carried me off after Ryth. Oddly enough, I felt an aura of concern radiating from Rona. Did this mean that he had a heart after all?

Ryth and Rona came to a halt at the edge of the magma bed. There still was no way back across to the desert. The flow of magma behind us was also approaching at a quickening pace.

"Rona…" I huffed. "What're we going to do?"

"I don't think we can do much," Rona replied. I looked to the sky: it was dark with ash and smoke, but on the horizon, I could make out figures flying through the air. They were approaching us as a rapid pace. When they were closer, I could see that they were Angels!

"Angels!" I shouted and pointed to the sky. One was flying before the other two, and I took it that he was their leader. He landed first and approached us. He spoke quickly.

"Rysta saw that you three were in trouble! She sent us to help."

"Much appreciated," Rona said. He handed me to the first Angel. "He got injured in the run… He needs help."

"Right now, we need to get out of here," the Angel leader said. "We'll carry you three down to the edge of the Wastelands." The other two Angels flew into the air.

"Grab our ankles and we'll carry you," one of the other Angels said. "Hope you have a strong grip!" The Angel leader pushed off the ground and spread a pair of magnificent wings. He took me though the air and even shielded my eyes from the smoke. The other two Angels followed with Ryth and Rona. Together, we flew through the air away from the disaster that was the volcanic section of the Wastelands.

The Angels dropped us at the desert-Draconia boundary. I was set gently on the ground, where I winced in pain at my leg. The Angel leader held his hand on my wound and used a potent healing magic to fix me in a matter of seconds. It was so strong in fact that my leg went numb. The other two Angels dropped Ryth and Rona beside me.

"Thank you," Ryth said politely.

"Just another close one," Rona mumbled. "It's nothing now."

"You three just stay safe. Rysta says that the Water Key has been collected as well, so you should meet with the other Heroes in the Traveller's Waypoint… You know, the really small one in the middle of the Plains. Good luck, and Rysta watch over you." The three Angels flew up into the sky and were gone in a matter of seconds. Rona helped me to my feet.

"Rona… What you did… It wasn't like you," I said. "For a moment, I felt as though you actually cared…"

"I can't have you dying… You're our leader… You have to live," Rona replied.

"Just admit that I've actually taught you something," Ryth said.

"Think whatever you want." Rona walked off. I looked to Ryth, and we both shrugged. We followed after Rona. I was especially eager to get back with the others…


	25. The Water Key Keia's Story

Cryos wanted to keep a journal of what was happening, so he asked that I write about my trip to the beach. While he, Ryth, and Rona all went to get the Fire Key, Vegance, Ceae, and I went to get the Water Key.

The Fields went on forever while we walked towards the Maringan Shores. Not much was known about the ocean, though, except that it seemed to go on forever. I actually jumped the first time my feet touched sand. It was new to me, and I was not prepared for it. Ceae jumped up and down on the sand just because he could see his footprints. Vegance seemed unmoved by the sand. It was the ocean she wanted to see, and this was made obvious by her anticipation to push on.

There was a lot of sand between us and the ocean. The sand actually piled high enough up that we could see the ocean far off in the distance.

"Vegance, any idea where the Water Key could be?" I asked.

"Actually…" Vegance turned to me. "Rona actually told me many years ago that a monster lived in the ocean… It could be a start, but I'm not too sure if that's the place or not. We'll check there first."

"I hope it's a friendly monster for once," Ceae said.

"There's hardly ever a 'friendly' monster… We're probably going to need to fight," I said.

"I just wanna see the ocean first," Vegance said. The three of us treaded down the sand dunes and headed for the ocean.

I actually started to feel a little sorry for Cryos's group now. Cryos, Ryth, and Rona had to deal with a volcanic wasteland followed by a battle versus a fire demon… Vegance, Ceae, and I only had to take a peaceful walk down to the beach and stare at the ocean. We could relax after all of the stressful situations we had been through, watch the waves in constant motion, and talk about our future plans, if we should finish this journey.

When we reached the shoreline, I sighed deeply. The waves were calm and rolled gently onto the sand, and then they pulled back and repeated. The skies were clear and many ocean birds populated the air. Vegance sat down on the sand and stared out at the horizon.

"I wish Rona were here," Vegance said. "I don't care _how_ heartless he can be… The ocean would definitely soften him up."

"The ocean is my territory," Ceae mumbled. I blinked and separated myself from Vegance and Ceae. I stared out at the ocean.

"Cryos," I whispered. "If only you were here…" I became quiet and felt a tear slide down my cheek. "I hope you're safe…"

Vegance walked silently up to me and put her hand on my shoulder. "What's wrong?" I shook my head silently. Vegance sighed. "You can tell me… C'mon, let's go have a little bit of a girl talk." Vegance led me by the shoulders to a spot further away from Ceae. I continued to sob quietly. Vegance sat me down on a rock and sat beside me. She joined her hands in her lap.

"Now… What's going on?"

"Cryos," I whimpered. I hung my head low where Vegance could not see my face.

"What about him? Did something happen before he left that I need to know?"

"No…" I fell silent for awhile. Vegance sighed again.

"Keia… Please, fill me in."

"Cryos… He went the more dangerous path… We left him to go to a volcanic wasteland headed by a fire demon… While we went to the beach… What if something happens to him? I want to be with him after this… After everything is done, I want to be by his side forever…"

"It sounds like you're in love…"

"I am… I almost want to take it back though… So that I don't worry so much, so that I don't hurt so much, so that I can focus on myself…" I threw my hands to my face as the tears came faster. For another while, I sat and sobbed, my body quivering from head to toe. Vegance scooted closer and put one arm around me. She put her other arm on my shoulder.

"Listen… It's not all great to hide your emotions either… It might actually be better to let the other know how you feel than to hide it forever, and never let them know what's going on… Believe me. I have feelings for Rona that I'm hiding, and I try to convince myself that he can handle himself… But what if I'm wrong? I tell myself not to worry, but it only makes it worse. Deep down inside… These feelings are crushing me. I'm hiding them, and I wish, like you, that I could just tell him how I really feel… But I'm older. I'm going to save it until everything's over, so that I can keep on fighting…"

I pulled my head up and took a deep breath. "But, what if, because he doesn't know… What if he doesn't keep fighting to stay alive?" I asked. "What if he lets himself go because no one will care?"

Vegance turned away briefly. "Then, it would hurt more if I kept the feelings hidden than if I let them out… I may need your help to let him know…"

I nodded. "We both have our guy problems… I'll keep going, for Cryos, and I'll help you with Rona…"

Vegance turned back to me quickly. "You'd do that?" she gasped.

"Yeah…" I patted her hand. "I would… You've helped me a bit." I mustered a slight smile and dried my eyes. I looked out at the ocean again. "Time and life both have one thing in common with the ocean waves… They come, and they go. What is left behind by our memories and love, however, is entirely left up to us… What is left behind by the waves is at the mercy of the ocean."

"That's very deep," Vegance said. "You're definitely learning."

"To be honest, I don't even know where that came from," I said and blushed. "But, thanks anyway." I slid off the rock and took a whiff of the ocean breeze. "You know, someday, I want to go out on those waves and explore new lands…"

"You might be able to someday… But for today, we need to find that ocean monster," Vegance pointed out.

"Yeah… Where should we-" I was interrupted by a scream further down the coast. I turned my head to Vegance. "Ceae!" Vegance and I ran back down the shoreline to where we had left Ceae. When we arrived, he was sitting back in the sand, his eyes wide with fear.

"What happened?" Vegance asked Ceae. "Are you alright?" Ceae silently pointed one finger at the water.

"What is it, Ceae?" I asked. "I don't see anything…"

"There was… T-there was… There was a thing, there, on the water… I saw it… _I saw it_. It looked at me, and then it disappeared… It _saw_ me," Ceae said. He was clearly scared out of his wit. Again, I looked at the water.

"Are you sure? The water looks clear to me…"

"Keia." Vegance nudged me and pointed at the water. Small bubbles rose to the surface slowly, but the number of bubbles quickly increased. A spherical object emerged from the waves. I titled my head to the side. What could it be? The spherical object rolled around and then blinked. It was an eye! I leapt backwards in shock as another one, and another one, and _another_ one appeared. Soon, eight eyes stared at us. Then, a large body rose from the ocean. The body appeared to be slimy and squishy, and it wore a gargantuan shell on its back. Eight skinny stalks rolled out from underneath the body: from these the eyes were attached. Eight eyes rose above the body, and two tentacles unfolded from the ocean waves. This monster stared us down, but seemed to be waiting _us_ to make a move. Ceae cowered in fear, Vegance held a defensive stance, and I just stood there with my hands on Ceae's shoulders, looking up at the monster. Still, nothing happened. I let go of Ceae's shoulders and stepped closer, slowly, as though in a trance. The eyes followed my footsteps.

"Keia, what are you doing?" Vegance shouted. I ignored her question and put myself in a position in which I was the only one noticeable. I dropped to one knee and stared at the ground.

"My name is Keia… Your lack of action tells me you have no intention of harm…"

"Greetings, Keia," the monster replied. My head flew up in shock. The monster's voice was deep, but it was feminine. The voice must have come from within the creature, since no mouth was visible. "I am Maringa, guardian of these waters… What brings you to me?"

I turned to glance back at Ceae and Vegance. "We come seeking the Water Key… Our home is in danger, and we need it to save ourselves."

"How much is it worth to you?" Maringa asked.

"Name your price… I'd do anything to save our world, for the sake of Prince Cryos…"

"You're willing to sacrifice all that you have for the safety of all others? That is a sign of true devotion… A commitment to oneself and those you love… And, you are honest… Many have come for this Key, but none have displayed the heart they have in such few words… That is more than I require." From the waves came a small blue sphere. It levitated over in front of me and lowered into my hands. A drop of water splashed around inside.

"Thank you," I whispered.

"No, thank you… You are the first to pour your heart out to a monster known to 'terrorize' people… May your days be many." Maringa emitted a sorrowful wail and sunk back beneath the waves. I rose to my feet and held the Water Key tightly in my hand.

"That was easier than I thought it would be," I whispered. I returned to Ceae and Vegance and handed the Water Key to Vegance.

"Well, despite your insane actions… I guess we're good to go," Vegance said.

"Thanks… When you're desperate, I guess you'd do anything…" I replied.

"Can we go now?" Ceae asked.

"Where to?" Vegance asked.

"Anywhere but here!" Ceae exclaimed.

"How about that wayfarer's town in the middle of the Plains?" I suggested. "I imagine Cryos and the others will show up there."

"Not a bad idea… That's where we'll go then," Vegance said and smiled.

"Then let's go!" I said and motioned for Vegance and Ceae to follow. I ran off laughing because I knew I would soon be reunited with Cryos…


	26. The Reunion Cryos

After awhile of hurried walking and running (Rona was in a hurry), we finally got to a point where the Travelers' Waypoint was on the horizon. My heart leapt at the sight as a feeling of hope surged throughout my body. Though tired I was, I picked up my feet and ran ahead of Ryth and Rona, eager to see Keia's face once more.

I was upon the town now; peering in towards the middle, I saw Vegance, Ceae, and my beautiful Keia standing together. I ached all over from the hustled movement from before, but seeing Keia made all my problems go away. Vegance turned and pointed at me. Keia jerked her head around, gasped, and started running towards me. For a moment, all else slowed down… It was just her and I… And then, we collided with such force as to knock me back into reality. I was knocked backwards and Keia landed on top. A second passed as we lay on the ground staring into each other's eyes. When the air came back to me, I said the first words.

"The Wastelands were hell without you… You don't know _how_ much I missed you…"

"Really? Even a trip to the beach is no fun when you do it alone," Keia replied.

"Surprised to see me?"

"Of course… I was dying to see you again…" I pulled her close to me and hugged her. We were still lying on the grass when Ryth and Rona passed by. Rona ignored us, but Ryth gave us an odd stare, whispered "Okay…" and walked off. Keia finally gave me room to get to my feet. I stood up, stretched (as painful as it was) and took Keia's hand. We looked to the others standing just outside the town. I noticed Vegance was hugging Rona.

"So… What happened while I was gone?" I asked. Keia handed me her journal.

"Most of it was boring, but I want you to read the conversation I had with Vegance," Keia replied. She put her hands behind her back and stared shyly at the ground. I took a moment to read, and to be honest, I was shocked.

"This is all true?" I asked. She nodded. "And you mean every bit of it?" Again she nodded. I smiled. "That really lets me into your head a bit… Kinda cool, about Vegance and Rona too… It seems as though even Darklings can have hearts…"

"I was wrong to judge Vegance in the beginning," Keia said. "She cares like we would."

"But, this is true? About staying with me after all is said and done?"

"Of course." Keia smiled. "Just keep me safe when I'm unable to do so myself." A long silence passed. Suddenly, something occurred to me.

"You _did_ get the Water Key, right?" I asked.

"It's kind of sudden, but, yeah."

"May I hate it? To put with the others?"

"Vegance has it." I looked to Vegance. She and Rona were talking. I nodded. "Did you get the Fire Key?" I reached into my bag and fumbled through the seven that I carried until I found one that was slightly warm. I pulled it out and showed it to Keia. Inside, a fire raged. It was controlled and somewhat soothing. "It's nice… It's like a perfect representation of my love for you… Controlled, and an everlasting flame…"

"You've changed," I said.

"Vegance said the same." Another long silence ensued. I took a moment to look at the sky and then off at the horizon.

"I think we should get with the others and start planning our mission into the Keep," I said.

"Okay," Keia replied. Together, we walked over to join the others.

"…But I don't know, Vegance," I heard Rona say. "That's something that needs to be discussed some other…" Rona looked at Keia and I as we approached. He fell silent and turned away.

"Are we interrupting something?" I asked.

"No, no, not at all," Vegance replied. "Are we ready to move?"

"No, not yet. I think we should plan some and get a good rest at the tavern."

"What is there to plan?" Rona asked. "We get in, we kill things, we get out. Mission accomplished."

"There has to be more to it than that," Keia said. "I have an odd feeling that it won't be that easy…"

"Cryos and Keia are both right," Ryth said. "Best to have a plan, or some possible back-ups just in case."

"I'll get us a room," Vegance said and headed off into the town. Rona turned and glared at me.

"Rona, I'm as uneasy about entering the Keep as any of us are… But, I'd rather be safe than dead. You're strong, but you're not invincible… Everyone has a weakness. What if someone were to sneak up on you when you least expect it? You wouldn't stand a chance!" Rona remained silent. "You know, sometimes, running off on instinct is asking to be killed."

"Then plan. I'll take you through the Keep, but that's it." I sighed and motioned for everyone to follow me. It was time to prepare…

Six of us to one inn room left a very crowded standing area. Rona stood silently in the corner and kept to himself. Vegance again sat on the windowsill. Keia, Ceae, Ryth, and I each sat on the separate beds.

"So… The Keep," Vegance started. "Apparently very well-defended. The front gate itself has taken a lot out of us… The inside, if I remember correctly, is dark, filled with many dark corridors, and the stairs to the top is no easy task. Each flight of stairs, once we arrive at the base of them, will take us up a bit to another room on the floor above. Each room will have some sort of safety measure to try and keep us from leaving. I don't know exactly how it will be, but there will more than likely be sacrifices of some sort.

"At the top of the stairs, there will be a large room near the top turret. This will be Necril's experimentation room, the room where Rona was created." Vegance eyed Rona in the corner, who still had not moved. "Beyond that room is a final flight of stairs leading to a vacant room we liked to use as a training room. Necril never really headed up there much, but that is more than likely where we can corner him. The only escape from there is the door you enter in through. At that point, we'll let Cryos have the honors of carrying out his parents' wishes." Vegance smiled at me.

"There's still a lot of vacuity about this, though… You can't remember each 'safety measure?'" I asked.

"I'm afraid not, so I hope you can think on your feet."

"So much for planning," Ryth mumbled.

"We should be able to handle it, though," Keia said. "We've been through a lot already… What's this compared to some of the battles we've fought?"

"It may be a bit tougher," Vegance said. "But we'll be prepared… Let's get some rest." Vegance transformed into a black cat, curled up on the windowsill, and began to purr. Rona stood still in his corner. Keia, Ceae, Ryth, and I all lay back in our beds. I shut my eyes and tried to imagine what things would be like after this journey. I saw myself wearing a black outfit trimmed with silver (as was customary for royal weddings) and Keia beside me in a long, flowing dress. A couple of bridesmaids carefully place a halo of flowers upon her head and hand her a small ring. Ryth is there too, smiling from the front of the crowd. Even Rona is there, clapping with the others. Ceae slips another ring into my hand from behind. Vegance stands beside Rona, sighs, and takes his arm. I see her look up at him and send a silent message suggesting she wanted to be next. I look out and the crowd goes on forever. I smile, but my smile fades as a face appears in my head. This face I had never seen before, but his eyes are filled with a desire for revenge.

"To them, you are only a mask, covering their actions," a voice rings out in my mind. A terrible feeling of helplessness runs through my stomach and leaves me stuck where I lay.

'Who, who are you?' I think to myself. I was not expecting a reply, but was shocked to get one.

"You'll see for yourself soon… You don't know what you're getting yourself into…" A strangely familiar evil laugh echoed through my head. I opened my eyes and sat upright. The feeling of helplessness turned to fear and left me breathing heavily. I looked around the corners of the dark room. Everyone else was sleeping, except for Rona. He was missing!

"Where could he have gone?" I whispered under my breath. I crawled out of bed and went out into the dark streets. Under the moonlight, Rona's fur glistened with a brilliant silver shine. He was staring out in the direction of the FoxWoods. I slowly approached him and stood next to him. His eyes were closed and he stood perfectly still, as though meditating.

"Rona?" I said. He gave no response. "Rona?" I asked again. He nodded silently. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know," Rona mumbled.

"Well, I mean, you got pretty upset earlier… I just want to make sure you're okay…"

Rona opened his eyes and sighed. "I've changed… You've changed me… I used to be heartless, but now… I save lives. I fight for good… And…" Rona stopped himself.

"And what?" I asked.

"And… Can I trust you?" Rona looked down at me. I nodded. "I'm not sure about my feelings… Vegance told me how she feels."

"What do _you_ think?"

"I think… I might be able to accept it."

My heart leapt at hearing those words. Who could ever imagine that Rona would love someone? "That's good… Love is a normal emotion, Rona, the strongest of them all… Without it, we could never feel rage, or anger, or hatred… We have to love something or someone to some extent to feel bad about it being taken away… Love attaches us together, the emotion that holds humanity together…"

"But to me, it's different… I'm not used to it. It's overwhelming, even for me… 'Love.' I've never really felt it for anyone before."

"So, you'll return her love?"

"I'm not sure… Will it interfere with the task at hand?"

"No… It'll give you something to keep going for… You should try it. Love feels great." I smiled at Rona.

"Then I guess I should give it a try." Rona smiled back. For a second, I could feel a change in Rona. His smile faded, though. "But, how do you love?"

"That's entirely up to the individual," I said. "Impress her. Tell her good things about her and yourself… Be honest and tell her just what's on your mind… Anything else will come naturally."

Rona nodded silently. "Thanks, Cryos."

"So, are you going to get some sleep?"

"No, not yet… I'm going to stay here and think a little longer… Why aren't you sleeping anyway?"

"I really don't want to talk about it… Just a nightmare… I'll get over it."

"_You_ get some sleep… I'll be fine. _Don't_ tell Vegance anything," Rona threatened. "Let me handle that."

"You have my word." I returned to the inn, went back to my bed, crawled in and got comfortable, and then drifted to sleep quickly…

When the morning came, I was the first awake. I sat up, yawned, and looked around the room. Rona had come in and was curled up under the windowsill, his head tucked into his paws and his tail wrapped around his body. In this position, he looked so harmless… And somewhat cute. Vegance was still curled up on the windowsill (above Rona, now). I looked to Ryth: he was sprawled out on his bed, his arms above his head. Keia was deeply snuggled in her bed. The only source of her warmth was herself. I turned to Ceae, who had just rolled over. He had a ferocious look on his face… I think he was dreaming about the days to come.

I looked back at Vegance as she uncurled and stretched. She was so caught up in it that she rolled over and fell off the windowsill. She landed on top of Rona, who now uncurled and prepared for self-defense where he lay. Vegance changed back to human form and lay there on top of Rona, stunned, and stared into his eyes. He was holding her by the shoulders.

"Um, hi Rona," Vegance whispered. She was blushing.

Rona closed his eyes and shook his head. "Vegance, this is so sudden… You could at least let me prepare…"

"I wasn't expecting it either… I think things are much better when they're spontaneous…"

"Vegance…"

I remained silent. To me, this was a spectacular turning moment for Rona.

"I'm not sure how to say this, but I think it would be better, since everyone's asleep," Rona said. "Vegance, I think I love you." Vegance's eyes widened. She gasped and became very still. A while of silence passed. "Vegance?"

"I… I…" Vegance was clearly in a stupor.

"Are you alright?"

"More than… I feel perfect. I didn't know you _could_ love…"

"Let's just say, I had a little help from a friend." Rona's eyes rolled upward at me. Vegance followed his eyes and watched me. I smiled and she smiled back. She mouthed the words "thank you" and then nuzzled Rona's neck. For another while, they stayed like that…

We now all stood outside. Rona and Vegance both looked ready to go. Ryth was abnormally calm. Keia wore an expression of concern, and Ceae's eyes were filled with determination.

"So, we're ready?" I asked. Five heads bobbed up and down. "Good. I don't know how far the Dark Lands have spread since we were in the FoxWoods, but we're about to find out. Our next destination…is Necril's Keep." Again, five nods. "Let's finish what we started!" I ran ahead, sword in hand and followed by Ceae, Keia, Vegance, Ryth, and Rona… The battle is almost over…


	27. The Dark FoxWoods

We had not even reached the FoxWoods when we came across the cloud cover for the third time. Like the first time we saw it, we stood and stared upwards. I was starting to wonder how it had progressed this far, so quickly.

"If it is spreading at this rate, we should move faster," Rona said.

"What about the FoxWoods?" I asked. "If we haven't reached the treeline yet, then that means the entire FoxWoods are under darkness!"

"Not a problem… We'll get through it." Rona took the first brave step into the cloud cover. I looked back at all the others: they all watched me. I turned back around and followed Rona into the clouds. The smoky haze that blocked my vision inside the clouds led into a near pitch-black forest. Rona stood very still, his eyes glowing in the dark. The others came through not too long later. I felt someone bump into me.

"Just when I though the FoxWoods couldn't get any darker," Vegance said aloud.

"I would be careful," Rona cautioned. "There could be anything lurking in this darkness." He pushed aside some overhanging limbs and pushed further into the trees. The rest of us followed. I especially held firmly to my sword just in case anything should attack us. Ryth jumped when a bird call sounded off above us.

"Ryth, it's just a bird," I whispered.

"Can't be too careful," Ryth whispered back.

"Yeah you can," Keia whispered to both of us. "If something scares you and you take off someone's head, there'll be problems… Calm down a bit."

"Sorry," Ryth mumbled.

We continued through the Woods until we came upon the Fox Spirits' center. To my surprise, several black masses danced around the throne. Rona was offended by this. His eyes narrowed with anger and he leapt into the crowd. He killed several at a time until none remained. Breathing heavily, he dropped his katana to the ground. Vegance started to go to his aid, but I held her back.

"Vegance, just give him a moment," I said. She clawed my hand and pulled away. I stood there in shock at the blood that ran down my fingers and dripped to the unseen ground. I made no noise, though, and instead wrapped my hand with a piece of cloth. I looked up to see Vegance with her hand on Rona's shoulder. Rona was nodding. Soon enough, they joined us again.

"Are we going to move on now?" I asked. Vegance nodded. Again we headed into the Woods.

The darker part of the Woods where Rona lived was now pitch-black. Trees could not be seen, and the only light came from Ryth and Rona's glowing eyes. I had a feeling that stopped me from moving. This feeling was one of impending danger. I heard a quiet creaking off to the side of us, which Rona pointed out was his house. It was old and returning back to Nature at a fast pace. I ensured everyone that we must stoop. I jerked my head to the side as the creaking got louder, but now, a stomping sound could be heard.

"Rona, your house… Is it supposed to stomp?" I asked.

"Not usually…" The stomping quickened, and then it occurred to me that it was growing nearer.

"Quick! Everyone, get out of the way!" I shouted. Half of us ran one way and the other half dove in the opposite direction. We moved just in time as a large structure ran past us and into a larger tree. It turned to face Rona. His house had sprouted legs and was rampaging towards us!

"What's going on?" I shouted.

"It appears that the darkness has corrupted my home into a dangerous creation," Rona calmly replied.

"What can we do?" Vegance asked.

"Distract it. I'll take care of it," Rona directed. "It's my house, and that means it's gonna follow _my_ rules." The house reared its leg and prepared to charge again. Vegance, Rona, and I appeared to be its primary targets right now. We all dodged its stampeding by our own means. Ceae, Ryth, and Keia were staying out of the battle. I watched the house in preparation for the next attack. Suddenly, Rona called my name. I rolled out of the way as the house flew past me, and then I hurried over to Rona.

"I had an idea," Rona told me. "Stand here, beside me, so it will charge us… You get out of the way and I'll get inside. I know how to stop this beast." I nodded and waited. The house turned and, I guess, stared me down. Rona and I both waited. The house kicked its foot backwards and then charged again. I dove out of the way, but Rona dove _inside_ through the window. The house, apparently confused, stood very still. In about a minute, the legs dropped out from underneath it and it crashed to the ground. What had once been Rona's house was now a scattered mess of wood, stone, various belongings, and glass. Rona moved aside a couple of boards and lifted himself from the rubble. He shook his head and dust flew everywhere.

"Whooooooo!" Rona screamed. "That was lots of fun! Gimme another house, maybe a brick or iron one, so I can show who's the housemaster! Yeah!" I lifted an eyebrow in confusion. Rona stumbled from tree to tree as though he were drunk. He dropped to his knees and sat there. Vegance rushed over to him and knelt down beside him.

"Rona, are you alright?" Vegance asked with a slight chuckle.

"I showed that house…not to mess…with…Rona…" Rona fell to the ground and lay facedown.

"By Rysta… Rona!" Vegance shook him. He was motionless. She shook him again anyways.

Ryth walked over to us. "Here, allow me," he said while holding a small stick in his hand. He bent down and tapped Rona on his ears with the stick. "C'mon Rona… We need to get going… Wake up…" Rona's ear twitched, but he still lay there. "Wake up!" Ryth shouted. Rona jerked, flew to his feet, knocked Ryth to the ground, and held his sword to Ryth's neck. Ryth shyly waved and squeaked, "Hi Rona." Rona put his sword away.

"What'd I miss?" Rona asked.

"Oh, not much," Vegance told him.

"Just a psychotic breakdown," Keia said.

"These Woods are doing something to your head, Rona," Ryth said.

"I just want out of here," Rona mumbled.

"We're pretty close, so let's move," I said. We continued once more through the Woods.

We came out through the other side of the Woods into a familiar sight: the perpetual darkness of the Dark Lands. Looking out on the horizon, I could see the Keep rising against a full moon. I had imagined it moved closer, but it was just my imagination telling me that our goal was so close at hand.

"There's Necril's Keep," I said and pointed towards the horizon. "Our goal is so close by…"

"It seems so menacing, once you fight for the other side," Vegance said. "It feels like something totally different altogether."

The grass around our feet began to glow. "Hopefully, we can end this by morning," I said. "We have all that we need… Which reminds me. Vegance, I need the Water Key."

"Oh, right! I forgot to give it to you." Vegance pulled a small blue sphere from one of her pockets and handed it to me. A swirling whirlpool of water filled the sphere. I dropped it with the other seven.

"_Now_ we have all that we need… Let's get through those gates."

"Agreed!" everyone shouted. We marched almost rhythmically in the direction of the Keep…


	28. The Gates to Darkness

Reaching the Keep took longer than I had imagined. Before we arrived, the grasslights shut off and still the Keep was far off in the distance. To me, it felt as though we were trapped in place, endlessly moving towards the same destination but never arriving. I stopped for a short rest and saw that the towers of the Keep were still where they had been on the horizon when we first started.

"Cryos, c'mon… Keep pushing," Keia told me.

"Does it seem, to you, that we're never getting closer?" I asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Necril's Keep… To me, it seems as though we're not getting any closer…"

"You're tired… That's all. We're much closer than you think. Just keep going, and before long, we'll be there."

I nodded. "Alright… I have that drive to keep moving." I got my feet working again and continued on my way.

Keia was right. I must have had some sort of doubt in my mind before because I was convinced that we were never going to arrive. Once more we stood before the gates that barred access to Necril's domain. The statues awoke again and their "eyes" floated out above us.

"You return… Have you brought the Orb Keys?" the asked.

"This time, we came prepared," I said. I set my bag down on the ground and pulled out the Lightning Key. The statues watched my movements carefully as I placed the first one on the ground beside my bag. I repeated the process until all eight Orb Keys were shown.

"Impressive… Place the Keys in their proper slots," one of the statues directed. Eight colored circles materialized in the air in front of us. One by one I placed the Keys in the floating circles: Lightning in the yellow, Fire in the red, Water in the darker blue, Ice in the lighter blue, Wind in the grey, Nature in the green, Light in the white, and Darkness in the purple. When all Keys were placed, the circles lit up and glowed brighter. The circles disappeared, leaving the Keys suspended in the air. Four Keys moved toward one of the statues, and the other four went to the other statue. The Keys locked themselves into small slot at the bases of either statue. The statues lit up and began to glow. One of the statues twitched and moved its arm forward.

"What the?" I said and backed up a bit. The other statue pulled its leg from its base and stepped forward. It lifted its sword out of the ground and held it up over its head. The other statue took two steps forward with its sword in hand and swung at us. We scattered and gathered in a small circle away from the statues. The "eyes" still remained separate from the statues and watched us as we ran.

"Clearly, getting through these gates isn't going to be so simple," Vegance said. "Any ideas how to deal with these things?"

"It's a shot in the dark, but I imagine those eyes might be a weakness," I said and pointed. "The statues probably won't be able to see without them."

"That's not a bad idea," Ryth said. "Keia, can you hit moving targets?"

"I can try," Keia replied. She pulled her bow off her back. "Someone will need to keep the statues away from me." All eyes were shifted around from Rona to Ryth to Vegance and then to me.

"The more, the better," I said. The thundering footsteps of the statues grew closer. "Let's run like madmen!" I drew my sword and screamed into the air. Rona, Ryth, and Vegance all drew their blades. I ran ahead while flailing my arms wildly. Rona and Ryth split off and headed to the sides. Vegance ran in a zigzag. I dodged the blade of one of the statues and rolled between the legs of the wielder. At the same time, Vegance weaved in and out around the same statues' legs. Together, Ryth and Rona led the other statue over to us. Caught up in chasing the fox spirits, the statue bumped into the other and fell to the ground. I heard the distant swish of an arrow through the air and then a quiet thump as one of the "eyes" was plucked from the sky. One of the statues cried out in pain and started kicking at us. Another whistle and another thump could be heard. Now, both statues swung themselves around in rage. The whistling and thumping sounded out several times more. After seven shots, one of the statues lay motionless and stopped glowing. Three floating "eyes" remained.

"Keep it up, Keia!" I shouted. One of the "eyes" hovered near me. I slashed it with my sword, which left it cut in half. Only two more remained. The standing statue, now mostly blind, picked a random direction and began to charge. It so happened that the direction he picked was the direction Keia was in!

"Keia, watch out!" Rona yelled. Keia's head lifted up, but she did not move. Frozen in fear, she could not move. The statue picked up speed, and when it seemed evitable she was gone, Rona disappeared. In the matter of a second, the statue had run over the top of her. My eyes widened. The grip on my sword loosened, and my breathing grew heavier. I dropped my sword and fell to my knees. While still staring at the spot where Keia had just been standing, I broke down in tears.

"Keia… Why?" I mumbled. I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see Keia looking at me in confusion.

"Why what? What's going on?" she asked. I blushed (which was something I never thought I could do). For a second, I was silent. "Cryos?"

"I thought you were just smashed?"

"No… Rona saved me."

"Can you two get back to the battle?" Rona asked. He was swatting at one of the "eyes" as it hovered in front of his face. Keia drew back an arrow on her bowstring and fired it at the "eye" that was pestering Rona. Now, only one remained, but it was nowhere to be found. All was quiet… We waited for something to happen, but there was nothing.

"So… Where's it at?" Ryth asked. A quiet crash alerted us all. The remaining statue emerged from the darkness, the final eye at the top of its body. It stopped and stood before us. For about a minute, we and the statue stared each other down.

"Okay, the plan is, direct assault," Rona said. "We get up there and take this thing down!"

"Your job, Rona," I said. "We'll cover you."

Rona looked from Ryth to me. "Okay." Rona ran forward. The statue, in response, swung its sword at him. Rona jumped up onto the arm as Ryth, Vegance, and I charged near the statue's legs. The statue swung its arm around wildly in an attempt at throwing Rona off. Vegance, Ryth, and I rapidly slashed at the statue's leg. I had to dodge out of the way as the statue thrust its sword at me. The stone sword stuck into the ground, giving Rona the chance to climb up onto the statue's shoulder. The "eye" floated just out of Rona's reach.

"Rona!" Keia shouted from the ground. Rona looked to her. She pulled back an arrow and fired it near Rona. He reared back his arm and swung forward as the arrow approached. The sword and arrow made contact, sending the arrow spiraling upward and through the remaining "eye." As the "eye" hit the ground, Rona leapt from the statue's shoulder. We all cleared the area as the statue plummeted downward and crumbled into a pile of stones.

I put away my sword and dusted off my hands. "That was probably the biggest battle we've had yet!" I exclaimed.

"It was definitely something different," Vegance said.

"It wasn't what I was expecting," Ryth said.

"This is Necril's Keep… You need to learn to expect the unexpected," Rona said.

"I could've told you that one," Ryth replied. Ryth smiled and looked away. Rona crouched down, moved quietly towards Ryth, popped up, and shouted "Rawr!" Ryth flew off the ground for a second.

"Yeah, you could've told me that one," Rona said. I could not help but smile, however, the moment passed as a loud metallic scraping sounded behind us. I turned around and saw the gates to Necril's Keep opening. When they were slid open all the way, I was the first to step forward. Keia stepped beside me. Ryth, Rona, and Vegance followed, and Ceae took up the rear.

"Here we go… Through the gates to darkness," I said. Now, we only needed to get up to the peak…


	29. The Keep

As we entered through the gates, some nearby torches in the entry hall lit up to illuminate the entrance. The torches appeared to float near the walls rather than hand from them. Several columns carved with ancient magic runes shot upward into an unseen ceiling. A shroud of darkness covered the back of the hall. The castle gates slammed shut behind us, leaving us in a semi-dark room.

"This hall is much larger than the one back at home," I said.

"Something tells me we're expected," Vegance said while pointing to a coat hanger beside the door.

"But we don't wear coats," I replied.

"It's Necril's idea of a joke, and his way of saying he's waiting for us," Rona said.

"I think he's trying to be hospitalious," Ryth said.

"Is that even a word?" Keia asked.

"Don't answer that question… Necril's never nice," Rona replied. "Let's finish this." Rona stepped forward a bit, causing more torches to light up. The rest of us followed after, and the torches behind us went out.

With some of the darkness dispelled now, we could see the end of the hall. A noticeably smaller door stood at the end. Dark iron knobs adorned the doors. Rona grabbed the knobs, twisted, and thrust the doors open violently. The doors flew open to reveal a rather large room with a towering circular pillar in the center. The sound of the doors slamming against the obsidian walls echoed throughout the room. Around the room, soft torchlights emerged to light our way. Rona led us in cautiously.

Upon further examination, I noticed an open doorway in the central pillar. Rona pointed to it and said, "That entrance leads up into the main turret. Well, to the base of it anyways…" I looked around even further and noticed extra doorways leading off into the darkness. Then, something, occurred to me.

"How come we haven't been attacked yet?" I asked. "I was expecting heavy opposition…"

"Necril's expecting _us_, that's why. Besides, he probably figured the gate defenses would be more than enough."

"He's underestimated us then."

"Before we head up, there's something I want to check first," Rona said.

"Um, okay." Rona led us to the left to one of the other doorways. This one was open, as though inviting us in. It led to another dark hall; however, this one lacked lighting.

"I need to check the Darkling storage," Rona said. "It's where Necril kept his unused prototypes and unfinished projects… I need to see if indeed he was working on another superweapon, and destroy it."

"Why no lights?" Ceae asked.

"Darkling storage… Most of the more powerful experiments can't stand the light." Rona stopped some way down the hallway and threw open a door. Rows upon rows of tanks containing green liquid and several black masses filled the room. Typical of a common Necromancer, I would say. The tanks were enough to cause the room to glow with an eerie green light. I walked up to one of the nearby tanks and took a look inside: it seemed as though Necril did a little bit of work here and there on the body because a finished arm, part of a shoulder, the start of a leg, and a torso filled with holes were all that existed. No parts were even attached.

"This room is constantly being expanded to fit all of Necril's experiments, whether they are finished, in progress, or failed. He keeps at least one of every idea in here."

"How many are there?" I asked.

"Look at the size of this room… Hundreds. I need to see if there are any more attempts like me."

"Where would that be found?" Ryth asked.

Rona pointed down the aisle. "Way in the back, with the newer experiments." Rona squeezed in between two of the tanks and started shuffling towards the back of the room. I allowed everyone else to go ahead of me because I wanted to take my time and examine the tanks. I filed in behind everyone else, but stopped every now and then to look through the glass.

One case held a Spawn, seemingly lifeless as it floated in the green liquid. There were several tubes and wires attached to it to monitor its health. In a tank across from it was another creature that resembled a Spawn, but this one was not attached: its arms and legs drifted aimlessly because it was unfinished. It was a failed experiment in my eyes.

Further down, there were higher classes of Darklings. In one tank, there was a Darkling with a heavily built body and wings with webbing. Drilled into its shoulders were large guns, rusted from age. An image came to mind of a group of these creatures flying through the sky and raining terror upon their targets.

I moved to the next tank, one of the largest in the room. This tank contained one of the most muscular Darklings I had ever seen. It had to have been at least seven feet of pure muscle. I noticed a sort of device on its back, possibly a mortar launcher or jetpack of some design.

While moving from tank to tank, I heard a quiet gasp in the back of the room. I also heard someone say "By Rysta…" I hurried to the back and towards the others.

"What happened?" I asked. Rona pointed into a tank everyone was gathered around. It had not occurred to me earlier, but inside was a being that closely resembled Rona. Looking down the row, _every_ tank was filled with a similar copy of Rona.

"Whoa… Looks like Necril's been busy," I pointed out.

"Yes… It looks like he's been building clones of me to create an unstoppable army," Rona said.

"I have a feeling he can't release them until the cloud cover is stretched all the way to the CentraCity," Ryth said.

"He can't release them… Ever." Rona drew his sword and smashed the glass on the first tank. The liquid inside poured out all over the floor. Much to my distaste, Rona cut all the wires from the Darkling's body and proceeded to slide the body into small pieces. These pieces slid out onto the floor, in which Rona promptly lit them on fire. The tank itself lost its greenish glow and became dark. I backed up a bit.

"Um, wow," I mumbled. "Is the overkill necessary?"

"I'd rather the bodies not get back up." Rona glared at the next tank. "I'll destroy them all…"

"Rona…" Vegance put her hand on Rona's shoulder. "Just leave them… Necril can't release them if he's dead."

"Can't be too careful…"

"Rona!" Vegance shouted. Her eyes were filled with anger. "Just let it go! Please… You need to learn to control yourself."

Rona's eyes were wide. He was silent for awhile and then put his sword away. "Yeah… Okay… Whatever you want."

'That's a shock… Rona, giving in to a girl?' I thought to myself. I had imagined Rona would be the last to change for _anyone_.

"Okay, so we've found what you were looking for… Can we finish what we were here for?" Ceae asked. "I really wanna go home."

"Sure." Rona took us out of the room, down the dark hallway, and back into the large room with the circular pillar. Instinctively, he drew us to the front of the pillar and then stopped.

"This is our way up… The teleporter. You may experience some uncomfortable feelings, but that should clear before long." I looked into the hollow pillar. There was a small pad with a Necromantic Pentagram etched into it. I looked up above it to notice there was no ceiling, but an endless shadow instead.

"How does it work?" I asked.

"Just stand on it." I nodded and put one foot on the teleporter. I half-turned to face everyone, and then put the other foot down. I felt a rush of wind, and then a perpetual darkness covered me. With my eyes open, it was as though they were closed. I tried blinking, but that did not clear my vision. Then, I felt an upward lurch (as though on one of those elevators) and everything came back to me. I was now alone in a small square room. I could see a dark carpet leading off into an unseen hallway. I stepped off the pad and into the room itself. Two torches lit up the entire room. I whipped around as a hissing sound came from the teleporter. Keia was now standing on the teleporter pad. She stepped off and greeted me with a friendly smile.

"This is amazing!" I proclaimed.

"What is?" Keia asked.

"Teleporters… I never though they could be built… I mean, fox spirits have the natural ability to teleport… But machines using magic, to relocate people? With something like this, we may be able to finally search the outside boundaries of Draconia!"

"You get too excited sometimes… You're such a nerd, Cryos…"

"But just think about it… We could explore new lands! Imagine all the possibilities…"

"It would be great, but… How do you plan to accomplish that?"

"I'll build one myself… Perhaps a portable one, so that two-way teleportation will be available anywhere! I'll need an assistant, though…"

"You could try Ryth… He's pretty smart, _and_ he has previous experience." Another hissing sound was heard from the teleporter. Ceae came through, followed by Vegance.

"Well, this is it… Climb this tower to the top, and Necril will be there for us," Vegance said.

"Guys, I have a bad feeling," Ceae said.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Keia asked.

"I have a feeling that something _very_ bad is going to happen…"

"A lot of bad things are going to happen," I said, "but don't let the thought hold you back." Another hissing noise was heard as Ryth stepped off the pad.

"That's gotta be the first time I have ever teleported _without_ effort," Ryth said. "That gives me a great idea…"

"If it has anything to do with building a teleporter, Cryos already has that covered," Keia said.

"Really?" Ryth glanced over at me.

"Yeah… I could use some help with it… We can discuss this after the job's done."

"Okay." Rona appeared from nowhere behind Ryth.

"Alright, let's move," he said. Ryth jumped up in the air and did a 180-spin.

"What, no teleporter?"

"Why bother? I'm perfectly capable of teleporting myself." Rona walked past us all and stopped in front of the hallway shrouded in darkness. "There is a variety of rooms beyond here leading up to the peak… Put your game faces on because this may be the most challenging venture yet."

I nodded. "Let's finish this." I ran ahead of Rona and into the darkness. I did not give anyone else a chance to agree or disagree because I just wanted to be done with this…

The hall was surprisingly long. There was a short flight of stairs leading up to the next floor, and then a door leading into the center. I threw open the door hurriedly and _almost_ rushed into the room. I stopped myself and grabbed the doorway when I saw there was no floor!

"What's the holdup?" Keia asked me from behind.

"T-there's no floor!" I told her. I stared down into the bottomless abyss, my heart pounding wildly as that may have easily been my death. I looked across the room to see a door suspended in air on the other side. Keia walked beside me and stood on her toes to see down into the endless shadow.

"Wow… What to do?"

"Rona, how—" Rona walked up behind me and _pushed_ me through the doorway! I screamed as I fell through into the room. So many things flashed through my head, especially images of falling, dying, hitting the bottom… I continued shouting for dear life, until Rona grabbed me by the shoulders and lifted me to my feet. I looked around in shock and confusion. I was standing, but I could not see on what. The abyss was just below my feet.

"The floor's unseen… Meant to deter people who've made it this far," Rona said. Keia, Vegance, Ceae, and Ryth were already crowded around. "Look." Rona pointed to a plaque on the wall. There was a diagram depicting several squares and a certain "path" hanging from the wall. "_Now_ you have to worry about falling. Each square represents one step. Be careful not to overstep."

"Yeah, not to worry… Nothing can scare me more than almost plummeting to my death," I retorted.

"Just pay attention to the diagram, and you should be fine." I glanced over at the mural on the wall. From the start, there were eight squares forward, then a left turn and four squares to the wall. I followed this path carefully, watching my feet and counting out my steps. I looked at the diagram again and read to turn right and follow the wall for five steps, then turn right again and head three steps towards the far wall. I almost lost count before the right turn, but I recovered and continued. I stopped to look at the diagram again.

"Left turn, three steps, right turn, seven." I looked up at the far wall. The diagram was asking that I head to that wall. I stopped, took the right turn, and ran to the wall. The final steps were easy: follow the wall to the corner, turn left, and follow the wall to the door.

When I reached the door, I immediately opened it and leapt onto solid ground. I sighed a breath of relief and took a moment to recollect myself. Much of the time in that room, I was holding my breath.

Rona entered after me and gave me a hard pat on the back. "Good work."

"Yeah… That was easier than I thought," I gasped. Ryth, Vegance, and Keia stepped out into the hallway as well. Ceae was last, however, just when he got to the door, it snapped shut! The door slammed shut right in his face.

"Ceae!" I flew to the door and tried to open it. It had locked itself! I banged on the door, hoping to get a response from Ceae. "Ceae!" I shouted again. There was silence. I turned to face everyone who _had_ made it through. "Why? How do we help him?"

"We don't," Rona said. "This isn't just the tower… It's the Tower of Sacrifice. Every room leading upwards is meant to take away someone… It's meant to turn everyone against each other, by having us all join for a common goal and then splitting us up…"

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" I shouted with rage. I turned back to face the door. "You kept it from us, for a reason, didn't you?"

"No… I figured you'd figure it out yourself."

"Yeah? Well now, Ceae's gone!" I hung my head. "He's not going to die, is he?"

"He shouldn't… He should be released when we defeat Necril."

I stood silent for a moment. Then, I sighed. "We have no choice but to move forward, do we?"

"After the first chamber, you can't go back… We have to finish this."

For another moment, I was silent. "Then we do it for Ceae."

"For Ceae!" everyone but Rona shouted.

I began up the stairs. "Let's finish what we started."

I was thankful the next chamber had a floor. Surprisingly, this room was white instead of obsidian like the other rooms we had been in. A row of mirrors covered one wall, and another row of mirrors was on the other wall. The single light in the center of the room reflected off of the many mirrors.

"What's up with this room?" Keia asked.

"In this room, you'll be able to see into your soul, but will you be able to face your inner self?" Rona asked.

"Is that supposed to be a riddle?" Vegance asked Rona.

"It's supposed to be the truth," Rona replied.

"Is Necril full of himself?" I asked. "He sure has a lot of mirrors…"

"Cryos, it's another room of sacrifice," Rona said. "Only one person should step into the mirror chamber at a time. And, only that person can face their inner fears…"

"Let me go first," I volunteered. I stepped into the middle of the room. There were no reflections in the mirrors at first. Then, all of the mirrors tilted to face me. My reflection appeared in every mirror, an image of my back turned. I looked from one mirror to another, until the figure in the mirrors turned around. In one hand, he held a dagger, and in the other was a diagram of Draconia's physical map.

"Draconia? In my hands?" I thought for a second. "Why a dagger? Is that how I really think?" The image of me developed an evil grin. He looked to the map and then reared his dagger back and thrust it through the map. With the dagger sticking through the map, blood started to pour from the hole that had been made. I gasped and tried to back away from the images of me killing Draconia. I backed up until I hit one of the mirrors behind me. An arm emerged from behind and grabbed me around the neck. I struggled and twisted my head to the side to face the others; instead, an expanse of white had replaced them.

The arm around my neck pulled tighter and another hand pushed me out into the center of the room. The arm was black and white and held a dagger. The image of me had become real!

"Can't you see what you're doing?" The shadow had my voice. "Your actions are like thrusting a knife into the heart of Draconia… You aren't saving the world, only destroying it from the inside out."

"Ngg… No!" I fought to get the word out. I bent over quickly and threw all the weight I had into my back. I flipped my shadow over me and onto the ground. I backed away and drew my sword. My shadow rose slowly up off the floor. He smiled and let out a terrifying laugh.

"You're blind… Many others have had this feeling as well… You are destroying your home!" The shadow drew his own sword. "I will do the world a favor by taking away the demon that plagues it!" My shadow charged at me with his sword in front of him. I rolled out of the way and swung at him as I leapt to my feet. He knocked away my sword with his and punched me in the mouth with his other hand. I stumbled backwards into another mirror. Again he charged at me. This time, I grabbed his sword by the blade and, fighting against the pain it caused me, lifted him up and threw him into one of the mirrors. Strangely enough, he went _through_ the mirror to become a reflection again. I watched him roll along the ground before standing back up. He ran towards the mirror (which seemed to act as a portal at this point) and returned to our battlefield. He swung at me and I locked my sword with his. He was stronger, however, and he pushed me up against a wall.

"Face it, Cryos… You can't hide what's inside…"

"Yes, but I _can_ fight against it and do what I feel is right!" A sudden burst of strength ran through my arms and I pushed my shadow near one of the mirrors. I pulled away and kicked him in the stomach. He flew back into the mirror-world, and then I smashed the mirror with a kick. I waited for a second, but nothing happened. I looked into the mirror next to the one that I had smashed, and the only reflection was of the _real_ me. I smiled, and so too did my reflection. A small black section of floor appeared at the point where I imagined was the hallway to the next floor. I stepped into the circle. The world started to fade away, and as it did, I could hear the others cheering.

"That was awesome!" Ryth shouted. He was standing on the other side of the room with the others.

"Okay, just wait there until everyone else finishes," Rona instructed. I nodded.

"I'll go next," Vegance offered. She stepped into the mirror chamber, and again the world faded. I could watch as she confronted herself. The mirrors tilted to focus on her. She looked around for a bit and then an image appeared in the mirrors. It was of the Draconian Plains at night. Soldiers of the DPF were fighting Spawns and other Darklings across the battlefield. I saw one glimpse of Rona before a wave of black, and then I saw Vegance in her Darkling form. She mercilessly cut down a few soldiers and bathed in the shower of blood created from their corpses. I was mesmerized by the sight, just one of those things that bothers you to watch it but you just can not look away. Darkling Vegance ripped one man's arms off and tossed them aside. Then, she turned to face Vegance and stepped out of the mirror. Vegance wore an expression of shock and horror.

"This isn't me… This was nearly twenty years ago," Vegance pleaded.

"No… This is as recent as it gets," Darkling Vegance told her. "Every moment, you subconsciously dream of gore and bloodshed and death… Because it is you. Because it is who you are…"

"No," Vegance stated calmly. "_That_ is what I _used_ to be… But I have changed myself… I'm for what is right…"

"You can't deny what you feel. Violence for 'what is right' is still gore and bloodshed and death to you… You haven't changed yourself… Only changed the direction you assert your anger."

"I'm not angry!" Vegance shouted. "I'm not angry… For twenty years, I ran and hid to avoid violence… Only to be brought back into it… But instead of meaningless killing, I'm doing it now to protect the innocent… Now, I have found love… I _have_ changed…"

Darkling Vegance circled around Vegance. "But deep down inside, your fire is still alight… When properly stoked, that fire will rise up again and lead to death and violence… How much can you take?" Vegance stood very still. Darkling Vegance ran one claw down Vegance's cheek, producing a small stream of blood. "Vegance… Your name is 'Vengeance' without the 'N' and the 'A…' It is what you live by."

Vegance slowly reached into her jacket. "If that is the case… May my vengeance be to protect the ones I love!" Vegance whipped her hands outward, producing both of her daggers, and pinned Darkling Vegance to the wall. Vegance jammed one dagger through her shadow's head and into the wall, and then used the other to cut open her shadow's stomach. She sliced another wound next to that one, creating a V-shaped mark. "I am willing to kill what I used to be to become what I want to be…" With one more motion, Vegance sliced through the neck of her squirming shadow. Darkling Vegance fell limp and hung from the wall where Vegance had stuck her. Vegance pulled her dagger from the wall and put both of them away. She then came over to join me.

"Wow… I think Rona will be proud of you," I said to her as she stepped into the circle with me. The scenery faded and we were returned to the white room.

"I'm not just fighting for me anymore… I'm fighting for the world," Vegance said. Across the room, the other three were deciding who to go next. Finally, Ryth separated himself from the others. He walked into the center of the room and stood before the mirrors. They tilted to focus on him, and for awhile, nothing happened. Then, an image finally appeared. Ryth held Rysta's staff and stood watch over the Heaven-Realm from Rysta's palace. A puzzled look came over Ryth's face as he examined the images of him. His reflection, whose back had been turned, turned around to look at Ryth. A voice echoed throughout the room.

"You say you selflessly help others… How you don't expect anything in return… But secretly, you want so much… You're tired of being led around… You desire power…"

"No I don't," Ryth said.

"Don't deny it… You don't care about others because they don't give you what you want… You help and you help and you help… What's in it for you? Nothing!" The image of Ryth stepped out of its mirror. "As a ruler, a god… You will have _everything _you want… If so desired, you could help _everyone_… But that's not what you want. What you _really_ want is all control… So you can do as you please, and lead…"

"No… No… I want to help, yes, but… If I had power, I could never help anyone but myself… That's not my goal in life…"

"How can you say that, with images like these in front of you?"

"Because I know it's true."

Ryth's shadow pushed Ryth lightly. "Show me." He pushed Ryth again, but this time it was harder. "Show me that you don't desire power!"

Ryth pushed his shadow back. "I don't want power!" His shadow slammed against a wall. He smiled an evil smile and pushed himself away from the wall.

"Do you feel that? The anger, the adrenaline rush… It feels great, doesn't it? _That_ is power… By fighting me, you are asserting your dominance, showing how much you want your own way…"

"Shut up."

"Oh? Anger? Ryth, control your temper…"

"No! I won't let you take me from the light!" Ryth drew his katana and ripped through his shadow. His shadow dissipated and reappeared behind him.

"You're like everyone here… Letting anger get the best of you, and taking it out on yourself…" Ryth's shadow faded away. Ryth put away his katana and stepped over to join Vegance and I.

"I'm right… I'm no different than people who take the path of darkness because I still let my anger take hold, and I always let it out on myself," Ryth said.

"Not true," Vegance said. "You fight for what's right… You've demonstrated so many characteristics of a hero."

"Yeah… Without you keeping Rona on track, he'd still be lost," I pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess you're right… But that desire for power…"

"Every Hero goes through that at some point in time… It's normal, especially when everyone holds you in high regards…"

"Then I'll just learn to control myself." Ryth smiled.

Now, only Rona and Keia remained. I saw Rona try to push Keia into the room, but she pulled back and refused to move. Instead, they talked about it and Rona went in her stead. Rona placed himself in the center of the room. He looked around as though in a courtroom being judged for a crime. The mirrors tilted and focused on Rona. In an instant, the entire room went dark. A voice much darker than Rona's echoed before there were any images.

"Rona… Your deepest desire is easy… You want to return to the old days of killing, massacre, and destruction…"

"I can't lie… I've thought about it on several occasions, but I've never had the chance to really kill that part of me…" Rona lowered his head and closed his eyes. The image of Rona in his Darkling armor appeared before Rona. The figure was in full color and glowed with dark energy.

"Then what keeps you from destroying everything? Your 'brother?' He has no control over you unless you give it to him."

"Power was my weakness," Rona said. "Sometimes, it's right to give up things for your friends… Sacrifices need to be made sometimes."

"What do you care about sacrifices? You killed innocent people… Killed for fun… Were _they_ sacrifices? I think not…"

"Do you really want to do this? You know I've changed enough to more than overcome my past… I know what's right, so to me, you are nothing but a ghost of my past."

"In that, you are correct… _What_ do you feel is right?"

"Living with both the past _and_ the present… So long as I don't forget my past, I can never relive it."

"You are a hard one to break sometimes… No one can do more damage to you than yourself. I refuse to fight you because you just aren't worth my time." Darkling Rona disappeared, and the darkness went with him. Rona walked over to join us.

"You make it look easy," I said.

"What can you expect?" Rona asked. "You, Ryth, and Vegance have all changed me… I owe you all."

"No problem," I said.

"So, what's Keia's problem?" Vegance asked.

"We're about to find out…"

Keia stepped into the center of the mirror chamber. The mirrors all focused on her. For awhile, a _long_ while, the room was silent. There were no reflections either. Finally, an image appeared in each mirror, but not of Keia. There was an image of me hanging my head in sadness. Ceae too, as well as Vegance, Ryth, and Rona. We all hung our heads and stared away from Keia. One by one, we turned our backs on her. Then, a female voice echoed around the chamber.

"What you're becoming will tear you from your friends," the voice said. "You're worthless… Shameful… Nothing more than a castle slave. You won't get anywhere with Cryos… He's royalty!"

"Don't say that!" Keia shouted out. "I know he loves me…"

"Him? Who seeks to destroy the world you live in? He doesn't care."

"Not true!" I shouted. I tried to run into the chamber, but an invisible wall stopped me.

"I have faith in him…" Keia whispered.

"You need faith in yourself before you'll have faith in _anyone_." A copy of Keia appeared, only similar in body shape. She wore black and dark eye makeup. Her hair was black as midnight, only made so in contrast to her pale skin. "Unlike anyone else, your enemy _is_ you, but something different entirely… My name is Drusilla, your dark side, and I have always been with you."

Keia remained where she was. "Drusilla? I've never heard of you before…"

"Because I reside within you," Drusilla said. "I _am_ you, like it or not. Your selfish dreams from childhood led to my existence. All because you couldn't take being beneath the world…"

"But I've found out that being a prince wasn't so great either…"

"Yet, you stick close to just ending it now to release yourself from everything that's going on. You realize that'll kill me too? You can't take innocent lives, can you?"

"No…" Keia whimpered.

"What is she talking about?" I whispered. Ryth shrugged.

"Perhaps I should give you your wish for you then," Drusilla said in a dark tone.

"No!" Keia shouted. "I'm past that now! I want to live!" Keia pulled back her arm and delivered a blow to Drusilla's face. The thump was loud and echoed throughout the silent room. Drusilla took the hit without moving. She looked up, her eyes dark, but a smile crossed her face.

"The more you fight back, the more you feed your anger… The stronger I become. I was born of your hatred, Keia, and I will continue to feed from it…"

Keia clenched her fists. Was it possible for her to fight back? Every act of violence would only play against her. "Just go away… Let me live my life…"

"This, coming from the same girl who lived off me for much of her childhood? I am one of the reasons you still live…" Drusilla laughed. "Do you possibly think you stand chance? _You_ never had a fighting spirit… Only the will for someone to fight for you…"

"Just leave me alone…" A tear rolled down Keia's cheek. "Let me live… I'm through with anger…"

"Now you're upset because this is the truth… You're upset to be here… Upset to have to face all of this… Bitter, because so long as there is darkness, Cryos is in danger…"

"I said leave me alone whore!" Keia shouted. She took the role of Drusilla by grabbing her clone by the hair and throwing her to the ground. Before Drusilla had a chance to get up, Keia was by her side. Keia crammed her foot into Drusilla's stomach in an attempt to silence her. However, Drusilla caught Keia's leg and pulled her to the ground. Keia's head hit against the wall and left her sitting on the ground in a daze.

"I'll give you what you wanted for so long," Drusilla mumbled and pulled out a twisted dagger. Immediately, I desperately tried to get into the chamber. Rona grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back.

"Cryos, it's an illusion!" Rona shouted. "Nobody really gets hurt… But this is her sacrifice! She'll return when Necril's been defeated!"

"No!" I struggled to get free, but Rona was stronger than I. "I have to help her!"

"Cryos!" Drusilla knelt down beside Keia and brushed the dagger down Keia's body. I continued to struggle, reaching for the wall or something to hold on to and pull free. Rona was dragging me back out of the chamber. In her final moments, Keia turned her head to me and moved her lips to say something. I took it as "I'm sorry." Drusilla reared her arm and violently plunged the dagger through Keia's chest. Keia's eyes widened and she let out a powerful scream with the last of her energy. A chill ran down my spine and all throughout my body. My heart leapt two or three times. I stopped struggling and let myself go. Rona pulled me away effortlessly. I caught one last glimpse of Drusilla's evil smile as I was pulled out into the dark hallway. She had won…

When Rona let go of me, I slumped down on the ground. I could not stand because my legs had become too wobbly. I did not feel like trying either. Actually, I just wanted to stay here until I died myself…

"Cryos… Remember where we are… The Tower of Sacrifice," Vegance said. "You were bound to lose her somewhere along the way…" She knelt down beside me and put an arm around my shoulders. "She'll be back… Hurry, and you can defeat Necril and get everything under control…"

"It looked real… It felt real… The words, the anger, the emotions… Even the blood and pain… That can't be an illusion." I stared at the floor.

"Necril has taken your greatest fear and used it against you to discourage you from moving forward… If you give up now, you'll never get her back… He'll have won."

I fell silent and continued staring at the floor. Then, a burst of hope ran through me and empowered me. I imagined a future with Keia, but if that were to happen, I needed to act _now_. I used this power of hope to raise myself up off the floor and back to my feet. For dramatic effect, I popped my neck and stretched. A desire for revenge burned in my eyes.

"Let's get this down… For Draconia!" I shouted.

"For Draconia!" Rona, Ryth, and Vegance repeated together. I ran headfirst into the dark hallway… Not just for Draconia, but for Keia as well…

The next room was basic: square, dark like the rest (minus the mirror chamber), but fairly large. There was a ledge around the outer perimeter of the room with a metal staircase leading up to a platform suspended by chains above the center of the room. I glanced up at that platform for only a second. Something moved, and I pointed up.

"There… Something moved," I said. The other three looked up at the platform.

"I don't see anything," Ryth said.

"I do," Rona stated. While we were staring up at the ceiling, the door slammed shut behind us. I was used to this by now, so it did not bother me. What _did_ bother me, however, was the fact that several black shadows formed in the dim light of the room. Many were Spawns, which was alright. The four of us drew our weapons and split off. The room was cleared quickly… I stood with a triumphant smile on my face. My smile faded in a second, though, as a blinding pain shot through my arm. The pain was enough to cause me to drop my sword, clutch my shoulder, and fall to my knees. I pulled my hand from my shoulder for a second. _My_ blood was all over my hand. A black shard of something was sticking out of my arm. I looked up at the platform: a pair of glowing white eyes met mine.

"They're acting as snipers!" I shouted. Ryth moved over to me.

"Cryos! Are you alright?" he asked me.

"They're acting as snipers!" I repeated and nodded towards the platform above.

"Here." Ryth moved my hand from my shoulder and put his hand there in its place. The familiar burning sensation from before came back as the black shard was dislodged from my shoulder. My wound was healed, despite the pain it caused me.

The room had been cleared of Spawns again, but the door still did not open. Larger masses appeared this time. Three Nightmares soon surrounded us. Rona was quick to act.

"It would be best if the four of us focus on one Nightmare at a time," Rona said. "Splitting up will do no good."

"One at a time? We need a distraction for the other two," I said.

Ryth raised his hand. "I'll do it!" While Rona, Vegance, and I focused on one of the Nightmares together, Ryth ran off to bother the other two. Using his sword, he cut a notch into their legs to turn them away from us. I attacked our target first, just barely dodging a swing of its arm. The Nightmare's fist pounded into the ground. The impact left a small crater in the floor. I looked up into the Nightmare's eyes. I had never imagined a Darkling to be twice my size. Rona leapt up into the air and slashed his sword down the middle of the Nightmare's head as he flipped over it. The Nightmare, though its head split in two, was still capable of fighting.

"Do we have to dismember these things?" I asked.

"Very likely," Rona mumbled. Vegance sat back and fired bolts of electricity at the Nightmare. One struck, in with the Nightmare promptly fired back. Vegance, hit by her own magic, was flung backwards. Rona took the opportunity to lop off an arm. The Nightmare froze for a second and then knocked Rona way with the other arm. Rona hit a wall and his sword flew out of his hand. I caught it in midair. Rona looked up from the ground as though suspecting me to finish it. I nodded. I leapt up into the air, did a spin, and with my sword cut off the other arm. With Rona's sword, both of the legs were taken from the Nightmare, and its body fell to the ground. I ran over to return Rona's katana and help him up. Vegance was already on her feet.

"Nice," Rona said. Our moment of rest was short, however, as two more black masses formed.

"We kill one, and _two_ come?" I asked in surprise.

"Guys, go!" Ryth shouted to us. "I'll distract them all!"

"Good luck Ryth!" I replied. "Rona, bust down the door!" Rona moved up to the door and pulled it from the wall.

"We're breaking a few rules here… Maybe Ryth can catch up," Rona said. "There's one more room ahead." I nodded and lead us down the hall. The sounds of Ryth battling in the previous room echoed throughout the hallway…

The final room was _huge_. Mostly empty space, this room reminded me of the first. The floor was non-existent except for a narrow walkway from one end of the room to the other. A pyramid-shaped structure rose up in the center of the room from the bottomless abyss. The narrow walkway ran through the center of the pyramid. Around the top of the pyramid was a square platform suspended by iron rods attached to the top of the pyramid. A round tube ran out of the top of the pyramid and into the bottom of the square platform.

"What is this room used for?" I asked.

Rona nodded towards the pyramid. "I don't know what the pyramid is for, but I remember this room…" Rona looked to Vegance. "This room is where Necril would artificially create a representation of Draconia's night sky… This was also the room where Vegance and I were introduced."

"Why would Necril have a room to create stars in, though?"

"Perhaps one way of studying the darkness… The stars influence us, especially the Darklings… By artificially creating them, he could study the effects of starlight on us… And better predict the future."

"I think the starlight helped to change Rona," Vegance said. "They say that the stars are the lights of Rysta's Angels and messengers… Perhaps one star glowed brighter for Rona.

"Ryth," I said.

"Exactly."

"So, how is this room a sacrifice chamber?" I asked.

"Someone needs to stay behind and shine the lights on top of the pyramid for us," Rona replied.

"Let it be me," Vegance said. "You and Cryos should go on ahead together."

Rona and I looked to each other. "No problem," I said. The three of us walked along the stone bridge to the center of the room, where the pyramid awaited us. Once inside the pyramid, I could see that the tube running out from the center was another elevator.

"I need to get an elevator installed in the CentraCity Castle," I said. "Climbing the castle stairs takes forever."

We took the elevator up to what Rona called the "Observation Deck." From up there, we could stare down into the bottomless black from the railing of the platform. Up above was just as devoid of light as the bottom. A small beacon light sat at each corner of the platform. At one railing was a master control for the lights.

"I know how to use this," I said as I laid my hands on the control panel. A few switches and sliding mechanisms adorned the surface. I flicked the switches that were used to control the beacon lights. Each one came on and shined into the darkness. The lights did not shine on anything in particular, however, so the light went on forever.

"We need the lights to shine overhead in the center of the platform," Rona said. "It's a simple trick… The illusions in this room make the darkness and the light reversed. Light will shine on light, believe it or not."

"Huh?"

"Just help us turn these lights," Vegance demanded. Rona and I took either side of the platform, two lights each, and turned them inward towards the center. Vegance worked the master switches to adjust them as was necessary. Soon, all four beacon lights struck each other in midair, forming a sphere of light in the air. Vegance worked the switches quickly to shut off the lights. The sphere of light remained where it was above us. Then, the light scattered and became stars all around us. Many twinkled and flashed, and others were too far off to be seen clearly. I stared in awe at the simulated night sky.

"These stars are like our Destinies," Rona said. "Each star represents an event or secret desire… The brighter ones are the dreams we hold closest to us, and the dimmer stars are those things we want to accomplish but just can't in a lifetime… In a way, they represent life itself… Everyone is a star, and the dim ones fade away with time…"

I turned to look at Rona. "That's pretty deep."

"This _was_ the room I first met Vegance in… I saw a star that was so close, I could have grabbed it… Now, she's right here."

"Aww…" Vegance blushed. "That's very sweet…"

The sound of a door opening was heard. I looked to see that it was the way out. "Well, Vegance, you're going to stay behind, right?" I asked.

"Yeah…"

"Enjoy your time with the stars," Rona said.

"You two be careful," Vegance told us.

"It should go well," I said.

"Good luck." Rona and I took the elevator back down into the pyramid. We crossed the rest of the way to the open door and headed into the next hallway…

This next hallway wound upwards in a long square spiral. It was mostly stairs leading upwards. At one point, Rona stopped us and put his hand on a metal door on the way up.

"This room was used as a training room for lesser Darklings, where they would battle each other either for dominance or to prove themselves in me and Vegance's eyes. Vegance and I practically headed this room… We broke many Darklings down and rebuilt them for our army…"

"Is it still in use?" I asked.

"I'm not sure… It would be best to avoid this room… We need to get up into the lab."

"Necril has a lab?"

"Yes. It's where I was created…" Rona and I continued up the stairs until the hallway ended at another metal door. Rona pushed it open and we stepped inside. Rona was careful to close the door behind us.

This room had a high ceiling and was made of shaped iron (much unlike the obsidian of the rest of the tower). Various contraptions and overhanging lights surrounded a center slab of metal. More overhanging lights gave the room a sort of eerie glow. There was a railing above on a second floor overlooking this room. A tinted glass window resided over the railing.

"This is Necril's laboratory," Rona told me. "It's small, but all he ever does is study the darkness."

I glared at the tinted window. "He watches this room? Doesn't he ever build Darklings himself?"

"Not usually… He built a few Darklings trained to do it for him… With more than one working on his experiments, the job gets done faster."

"What about with you?"

"I was built all by his hands… He couldn't risk failure."

I looked to a door on the opposite side of the room. "That leads to the top, doesn't it?" I asked while pointing to the door.

"Yes." Rona walked with me to the door. "_This_ door leads to the top of the Keep… I can't come with you."

I bowed my head to the floor. "Then this is it… No turning back… We've come all this way to the end… What happens from now on…determines the future of our world." I lifted my head back up. "Thanks Rona, for your help… I couldn't have done it without you."

"No problem… You've helped me too." The sudden sound of a door opening on the other side of the room caused Rona and I to jump to defensive stance. "Cryos, go! Someone's coming! I'll deal with this…" Rona drew his katana. I opened the door and nearly tripped over the first step upwards. I ran up the stairs and through the darkness up and up and up…

I stopped when I came to a solid object. It was a set of humongous wood doors, the largest doorway since the opening gates. Two steel handles (rings attached to the doors) adorned the doors. I grabbed one of the handles, and with both hands I pulled one of the doors open. I stepped into a circular chamber with a high ceiling and a blood red circular rug on the floor. There was no furniture or devices: only the room, I, and a man with his back turned to me. The man was large and wore a black cape/robe. I could see that the man was bald. The heavy door behind me slammed shut with an echo that lasted for a few seconds. The man turned to face me. His eyes were dark with a scar running down his left eye. He had a full beard and moustache, and he did not smile.

"Prince Cryos, heir to the throne of Draconia… I welcome you to my home in the Dark Lands," the man said. "I don't have much, since I don't get many visitors… But please, make yourself at home." He reminded me of Dave in the way he spoke. His voice was neither deep nor high, but surprisingly very welcoming.

"You're Necril," I guessed.

"Correct."

"Then you know what I'm here for…"

"Yes… I know."

"Can we get to it?" I asked as I drew my sword. Necril drew a sword of his own.

"You don't want to hear my story?" Necril asked.

"I don't care about your story!" I ran forward and swung my sword at Necril. He thrust his sword upwards and contacted mine. The force sent me flying backwards and along the floor. When I stopped skidding along the floor, I got to my feet.

"You're not ready to face me," Necril told me. "You have doubt in your mind."

"Shut up!" I charged at Necril again. I did not have a chance to get close to him this time. I was lifted into the air by an unseen force and held there. I struggled in mid-air to get loose, but it was useless. Necril tossed me aside and into a wall. I slid down to the floor. Using the wall as a support, I pushed myself back to my feet.

"You…have plagued…my land….long enough," I breathed. I moved slowly towards Necril once more, dragging my sword along the ground.

"You're a prince… Not a warrior." When I was close enough, I raised my sword into the air. I brought it down weakly, and Necril sidestepped it. He grabbed me by the neck and carried me to the wall. Then, he slammed me into it with _such_ strength as to cease my movements. I sat against the wall, unable to move, and he put his sword to my neck.

"Now… Listen…" Necril cleared his throat. I swallowed hard. "You don't know your parents' true intentions… You follow their intentions blindly without a thought as to _why_ they ask this of you… How well do you know them?"

"I preferred to avoid them at home…"

"Then I probably know them better than you…" Necril pulled his sword away, turned around, and took a few steps away from me. "I used to work in the castle… I was their advisor…"

"We don't have advisors anymore…"

"For a good reason, too. I advised them in many situations… However, they always seemed to do the opposite of my suggestions…

"One day, I overheard your parents talking to someone… I was outside the royal chamber, but the man they spoke to was none I knew… They addressed him as Sen.

"I was confused… I saw a plot against Draconia unfolding… To help protect the land, I needed to learn powerful magic… I went so far as to learn Necromancy, proven to be the strongest form of magic, though outlawed by all of Nature… I wanted to use it for good.

"I wasn't thrown out because of Necromancy… I was thrown out because I was seen as a threat by your parents… Even worse, I was seen as a betrayer to society because your parents made _me_ look like the evil one… I left and took over my own portion of Draconia.

"Now, the truth about why I am doing this… I _care_ about Draconia… I'm the only one who knows that… My power is great, but it's not evil… I've been trying to amass an army of darkness to destroy the corruption of Draconia… You follow their orders without questioning…"

"But… I didn't know," I said. "I didn't know that what I was doing was wrong… I blindly followed orders, and I was _this_ close to destroying my own homeland…"

"The cloud cover… It was a failed experiment that I can't take back. I wanted to cover Draconia in dark clouds to block out the sun and allow access by my Darkling army… But the clouds, artificially made with magic, had a side effect I never meant… It changes the environment and inhabitants into evil creatures… I intend to reverse this effect when everything's over."

"So, who's the real enemy here?" I asked.

"Sen… The god of chaos… The point of your Heroes… You are born into this world as an answer to Sen's destruction… He hasn't made himself known yet, but he's working on it. Your job is to put Sen down, and bring peace to the world… There are eight Heroes… Two have died now."

"Two?"

"Ceae… Out of desperation to escape the first Sacrifice Chamber, he fell off the invisible bridge and to his death… Anhalai Kerynsha, a friend of mine, was mistakably killed by my Darklings when they attacked the town he was in… And I am considered the last Hero… I've been hiding out here for the rest of you to arrive…"

"So… When do we make our move?"

"We will make it—" Necril stopped when a banging on the door was heard. Another banging sound was heard, and then one of the doors flew from the wall and crashed against the back of the room. From where I sat, I saw a fox spirit, Rona maybe, and he was glowing white with a black aura as well. His eyes were red, and his fur was white _and _black upon further inspection. He immediately focused on Necril.

"You!" His voice was higher than Rona's, but deeper than Ryth's. He pointed a katana at Necril and held another in the other hand. "This is your end!"

"Wait! Rona, no!" I shouted.

"That's _Ronyth_ to you, kid… I'm settling this," Ronyth said to me. "You run!"

"No! You don't understand!"

"I said go, Cryos!" I stared blankly for a second. My feet dared not to move. Was I was going to let Ronyth destroy the only man who knew _exactly_ what was happening? I had no choice. Before I could move, the world around me faded away. For a second, everything was dark. I had the same feeling I had had when I was using the teleporter. When I came to, I was standing outside the Keep with Vegance and Keia. I was too confused to react.

"Cryos…" Keia looked at me with sadness in her eyes. "I have that bad feeling again…"

"I can explain it now," I said. "Necril talked to me… This mission wasn't to destroy evil, but to destroy one of the Heroes looking to save the world… The King and Queen, my _parents_ of all people… They're working with Sen. By sending away the rest of the Heroes, they've given Sen a chance to strike…" As I spoke to Keia, Vegance watched the tower of the Keep.

"Cryos, something is about to happen," Vegance said. We three looked up to the tower as an explosion sounded out. A mix of light and dark magic burst up into the sky. The force caused the rotation of the cloud cover to switch and spin frantically. The sky started to reveal itself more as the clouds came down over the top of the Keep towards the ground. Then, Necril's Keep started to crumble from the top down. The tower I had just been in toppled sideways and fell apart in mid-air, raining bits of obsidian and stone down upon the ground. The first thing I thought was that Ryth and Rona were _not_ here with us. That meant they were still in the tower! The tower landed with a deafening crash upon the ground, spraying up dust and smoke in every direction…

After the Keep had been torn to the ground entirely, the cloud cover was gone. The stars in the night sky shone above the wreckage of the Keep. I did not bother to dig through the debris… No one could have survived that fall. Vegance, Keia, and I all stood in shock and awe staring at the rubble. Finally, I turned to the two girls.

"Vegance, Keia… We've come a long way," I said and then paused. I felt a tear roll down my cheek. "Where there were six of us, now, only three remain… There were supposed to be eight Heroes… Five are dead."

"Eight Heroes?" Vegance asked. "Who were the other two?"

"Necril was one… He definitely had that feeling about him… He mentioned a guy named 'Anhalai Kerynsha.' He also said that Anhalai was killed when Darklings attacked the town Anhalai was in."

"How can he be sure?" Keia asked. "Maybe he survived and escaped… Plenty of people survive things like that."

"Maybe… Maybe not. We wouldn't know where to search for him, so we're not going to give it too much worry. What _is_ true, though, is that our battle is not over yet… Rona's recklessness cost us a potential ally… And lost us two of our strongest warriors…"

"It's not his fault!" Vegance shouted at me. "He didn't know! You didn't know either, until now! No one knew! You can't blame him!"

"Okay! Okay… I'm sorry." I was silent for awhile, but then something suddenly occurred to me. I turned to Keia. "Keia! You survived…"

"You're kinda late on that," Keia replied.

"I know… Too much information for me today… I thought you were gone, though…"

"I survived. I gave Drusilla a battle for her life…"

"You did?"

"Yeah. When I was stabbed… I thought I was dead too. The pain felt real… But when I fount out that I lived, Drusilla freaked out. I fought back… Drusilla, defeated, told me that I had learned how to defend myself rather than rely on everyone to protect me… When I was younger, I had thoughts of death, suicide… Caring for you was an honor, but it only worsened my thoughts… I never thought you'd accept me. But, I pushed Drusilla away… She's not coming back. I'm better now… I've won." Keia sighed. "This journey has been an honor."

"Like I said, it's not over yet… I don't know what's going to happen, but I think we should go back home," I said. "It's time I 'repaid' my parents for a happy birthday…"

"You said 'Sen,' right?" Vegance asked quickly.

"Yeah."

"This may not be so easy after all… Let's go back to the Travelers' Waypoint in the Plains and look for help," Vegance suggested.

"Even with help, we're going against a god's desires," Keia said.

"But Necril said that the job of us Heroes is to seal away Sen for the next generation… To create peace in the land," I said. "We have an unseen link with the other Heroes… And I feel that Anhalai is out there."

"Then we'll search for him like we did Rona… We will find him," Vegance said. "We're going to the Travelers' Waypoint. _Everyone_ passes through there at some point in time…"

"Okay! …Let's go." I gave one last look at the remains of the Keep. With Ryth, Rona, _and_ Ceae gone, this journey was destined to be a lot less fun…


	30. The Final Stretch

Our walk from what _was_ the Dark Lands back across to the Draconian Plains was quiet and uneventful. Very few words were spoken: only a few mutterings from Keia, an occasional complaint from Vegance, and some reminders of our goal. We walked, ate, slept, and did other small tasks mostly in silence. With the loss of Rona, Vegance had turned more inside and became somewhat distant to Keia and I.

One night, however, I could not help but check on Vegance. The three of us had set up camp for the night in the Plains with the intent of reaching the Travelers' Waypoint by nightfall the next day. Keia and I sat in an awkward silence after Vegance had gotten up and walked off without a word. I turned to look at Keia. She stared into the fire with a blank expression on her face. I looked off in the direction that Vegance had gone and sighed. Finally, I stood up and started off after her. Keia looked up from the fire.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

I looked to her and then back out into the night. "I'm going to talk to Vegance. I need to make sure she's alright… We can't have her distracted when it comes down to the final battle."

"Okay… I'll wait here."

I walked away from the camp in an attempt to find Vegance. I was walking for some time before I saw her looking up at the sky. Her arms were folded across her chest as she looked up and outward. I cautiously stepped up beside her.

"Vegance… Are you going to be okay?" I asked quietly. Without taking her eyes off of the sky, Vegance nodded slowly. "Is it about Rona?"

"Yes," Vegance stated.

"How so?"

"I never imagined that the first place I met him would also be the last place I saw him… In a room, filled with artificial stars, just like the night sky… Now, the night haunts me… Those stars will forever be there…"

"Remember what he said though… Each star in the sky is a dream or a goal… Those brighter ones are closest to us, and the further ones are too distant to be achieved…" I pointed to a particularly bright star. "That's Rona… He's watching over you. He's a lot closer than you think…"

"But he never said 'goodbye,'" Vegance whimpered.

"He left without a 'goodbye,' yes… That just means that you'll keep caring for him. It's proven… Besides, you could probably go to the Heaven-Realm sometimes to see him."

"I guess…"

"It feels to me as though everything that's happened is just part of another illusion… Maybe he's not really dead? Maybe he'll be back? We don't know what's going to happen… It could be another of Rysta's miracles… We'll never know until it happens."

Vegance sighed and bowed her head towards the ground. "Yeah… Thanks Cryos."

"No problem."

"I'm going to stay here for a little bit longer… I need to think about things. I'll join you and Keia later."

"Okay… I hope you get better." I turned around and returned to the camp. Keia was still watching the fire intently. I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulders. She did not move.

"Keia… Are you ready?" I asked.

Keia looked at me in confusion. "Ready for what?"

"Home… To be home, but we won't be able to really call it home until everything's done."

"I don't care… Home or not, as long as you're here, it's fine with me… I'm ready to finish this."

"Okay…"

"Get some sleep." Keia looked up at me. "You need to be the most prepared for this… You need your sleep."

"I'll be sure to rest. You should sleep too…"

"What about Vegance?" Keia asked.

"She'll be fine… I'm sure of it," I replied.

"Okay…" Keia and I were silent for a little while. I started to stare into the fire and reflect on all we had been through. Then, she interrupted with a question. "Cryos? What do you think life will be like after this? If we uproot the King and Queen, who will replace them?"

"I'm the only heir… I could be king. I think I know who the queen will be," I said playfully and watched Keia. She giggled.

"Hmm… I wonder who that could be," she said sarcastically. She hugged me and smiled. "I would enjoy that very much…" I sighed and we were silent again. I let go of Keia and lay down on the ground.

"I'm going to get some sleep," I said and yawned. "Maybe you should too."

"Sure." Keia lay down nearby me. "Sleep well…"

"Of course…" Sleep came over me quickly. After all that had happened, I definitely needed my sleep…

When the morning came, I awoke naturally. Keia and Vegance were still sleeping. The world around was mysteriously peaceful. I pushed myself off of the ground and stretched. I watched Keia as she slept. A smile came to my face at how calm she appeared. Vegance, despite her past, looked very happy. I walked around a bit to stretch my legs. I picked up my bag and looked towards the horizon. From where we were, the Travelers' Waypoint still could not be seen. Vegance _had_ said that we would arrive there by nightfall tonight. I waited for Keia and Vegance to wake up, and then we continued on our way.

We were still walking at nightfall, but we were close to the Travelers' Waypoint now. It gradually grew closer as we closed the distance.

When we arrived at the town, it was just as quiet and lifeless as always.

"We should rent a room in the inn and stay for the night," Vegance said. "We can search around in the morning."

"Sounds good to me," I said. Keia nodded.

"Okay. We're staying at the Rysta's Blessing again," Vegance said. She led us to the inn (which, again, was not a long walk) and she opened the door. In a matter of a few minutes, she had rented us a room and taken our stuff upstairs. A man in the back corner of the room eyed me suspiciously the entire time. From just a few glances, I could tell he wore a hood to conceal much of his face. I could also see that he had slight facial stubble and refused to smile. Without trying to seem too conspicuous, I watched him while heading up the stairs to our room.

Keia nestled warmly into one of the beds and hugged a pillow. Vegance took her familiar seat by the windowsill. I plopped down on a bed across from Kei and folded my arms beneath my head. I let out a sigh of relief and stared at the ceiling. There was a long silence as the three of us rested our spirits. Finally, Vegance broke the silence with a topic.

"I've heard the name 'Anhalai' three times now… I finally remember exactly where, too," she said.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Keia asked.

"Part of it… Anyways, I've heard that name from three different places…"

"Where?" I asked.

"Necril mentioned it _once_. He told Rona and I soon after designating us the leaders of his army exactly _why_ he needed commanders… He told us that before, an army of Darklings commanded by him from a distance caused an accident… The army, with a lack of understanding, attacked the town Anhalai was in… 'A friend of his,' as he put it. Anhalai was considered dead after the attack, so Necril decided to create something smarter to lead and prevent that from happening again. I think I also heard somewhere before that it was _this_ town that was attacked."

"That would explain why it's so small," I pointed out.

"Yes! Exactly!" Vegance paused. "So, the second time I heard about Anhalai was from my friend, the innkeeper here. She had mentioned that the town was attacked before, but a man named Anhalai led the effort to rebuild it. Then, she was offered an opportunity to run the inn. It makes sense, because five years between my designation as commander-in-chief of the Darkling army and the time that I quit… That was enough time to build up a small town… That would mean that Anhalai _has_ to be alive!"

"That doesn't explain why the town hasn't grown bigger in the twenty years _after_ the fact," Keia mentioned.

"But, my friend the innkeeper said that this town was going to stay small so long as Necril was out there… Why waste time, effort, and resources if it could easily be destroyed again?"

"_Now_ it makes sense," I said.

"I still don't get why Necril thought it necessary to destroy innocent villages… Maybe less resistance, I guess… Anyways, the third time I heard that name was when you repeated it from Necril," Vegance said to me. "I have a feeling that Anhalai is near."

"That would mean hope for us… Three Heroes isn't enough to save a world."

"Yes, but four, half of us, is a good shot at attempting," Keia said. "This is important for us… We can't mess up now."

"Let's get some well-deserved rest first, and then we'll ask around in the morning," Vegance suggested.

"Good idea." Keia laid her pillow down on the bed and lay back on it. Vegance (as usual) assumed her feline form and curled up on the windowsill. I shifted my position to lie on my side rather than on my back. My final thought was of that glimpse I had of the man downstairs. Perhaps he was who we were looking for? I wanted to be the first person up so that I could see about it in the morning…

Then, the morning came. I _was_ the first awake, and the girls were still fast asleep. I quietly slid out of bed and tiptoed across the room to the door. Without a noise, I slowly turned the door handle, pulled the door open, crept out, and replaced the door. I turned around and went down the hall, down the stairs, and back into the inn lobby. The innkeeper appeared to be bored out of her mind. She leaned against the counter and traced the patterns in the wood with her fingernail. As I approached, she looked up and eyed me with a hopeful expression.

"Prince Cryos! You're awake," she said and smiled sweetly. "Did you sleep well?" It appeared to me like she was wishing to start a conversation.

I nodded my head and said, "Yes, very well, thank you… Actually, I have a question for you."

"Ohh…"

I nodded my head towards the back cover where the hooded man still sat without a grin. I would have imagined that he would get bored sitting there all of the time. I spoke with a quiet voice. "The man in the back of the inn… How long has he been there?"

"A few years… He came by some time after the town was rebuilt, sat down, and hardly moved since. He's quiet and spends much of his time scowling at everything that goes on… I don't know if he even sleeps."

"Does he have a name?"

"I don't know… No one ever talks to him… A lot are intimidated by him."

"Oh…" I turned around and gave him another look. From underneath the table, I saw his hand jolt to the hilt of a sword. "Have people ever _tried_ talking to him?"

"Once… A group of men approached him once… They seemed like an evil lot… They asked questions, but he refused to answer… He just sat there. They threatened him… But he remained still. I think he's waiting for the right person."

"Hmm… Well, I'm going to talk to him." I turned around, but the innkeeper grabbed my arm.

"Be careful…"

"I've been in worse positions… Trust me." I pulled my arm away and approached the man. I sat down at the table across from him and stared at what bit of his face could be seen. I awkwardly shuffled my feet and turned to look at the wall for a second. The man only sat and waited. Finally, I said something.

"So… Hi. I am Prince Cryos, but you can call me Cryos." I stuck out my hand. The man shifted slightly to look down at my hand. He ignored it. I pulled my arm back slowly and set it in my lap. "Okay, well, I'm looking for a man named Anhalai… Do you know him?" I waited for a response, but again there was silence. I tilted my head to the side. "Why won't you talk?"

"Because I know who you are," the man finally said. For a second, I was stunned. I was at a loss for words as I stumbled to reply. His voice was quiet, but deep.

"O-okay… So, what about me? How do you know me?" I asked.

"Like your parents… Lost to this world… You don't know what you're doing."

"Oh… You haven't been keeping up with what's going on, have you?"

"No… But I imagine you will fill me in."

"Well… There used to be six of us. We all went to Necril's Keep under the orders to kill him… It wasn't until just before the fact that I found out what was going on. Necril was one of the eight Heroes… He said that he knew the last, Anhalai, but he was killed in an accident when the town he resided in was destroyed… Rona, one of us Heroes, did not hear the story and wrongfully killed Necril… He and Ryth never made it out of the Keep, and I heard that Ceae took his life in confusion… Vegance, Keia, and I are the remaining Heroes of Draconia, but we have a feeling that Anhalai survived…"

The man looked to his left. "What are you doing looking for a man whom everyone believes is dead?"

"Because… There is this strong feeling that we have to deal with Sen, the god of destruction, and I know just three Heroes wouldn't last."

"Who's to say a fourth will do you any good? Kid, you're dreaming that one extra person will be able to save the world… But you're wrong. The world was doomed to begin with. So long as Sen is a god, he will keep coming back, and everyone suffers under his reign."

"It doesn't mean we can't at least _try_ to make things better for everyone."

"I'm not listening to talk about hope…" The man leaned forward.

"Then tell me! Do you know Anhalai?" I was becoming very impatient. The man leaned back and smirked.

"Anhalai never existed… The truth behind him is, he was a man who resided in this town before Necril started to fight back against Draconia… He was a man who became friends with Necril, who wanted a chance to help out… He was a man who stayed in this town before its destruction, planning an attack against the castle… He was a man who was in this town _when_ it was attacked… Presumed to be dead afterward…" The man sighed. "He was the same man who supervised the rebuilding of this town as a means to aid the Heroes when they discovered their goal… And, he still resides here."

"Then, if all of this is true, how could he not exist?" I asked in confusion. The man leaned forward again.

"Because… Anhalai was only ever a name… Just a name, a persona, a way of hiding himself from the world by disguising himself… Under this façade, he could go and do as he pleased, because it wasn't _his_ name… Anhalai died years ago." The man sat back in his chair and finally removed his hood. His hair was short, unruly, and dark brown. His eyes were green, however, a dark green. This man _had_ to have been in his twenties. "However, the man who took that name still lives."

"You're Anhalai?"

"Did you not listen to me? Anhalai was a name I used to disguise who I really was… _My_ name… My birth name… I am Cielto."

"Well, uh, Cielto, this is surprising," I said. "Found out that Anhalai was dead _but_ sitting right across from me in the same place I had imagined he would be."

"The Heroes have a sort of invisible link among them… They always know how to find each other, and when one dies, they all know it. Did you feel Ceae's death?"

"Actually, no…"

"Oh… Well, what about Ryth's or Rona's?"

"I…" I thought for a second. "Actually, I didn't feel theirs either… To me, it felt like they were gone, but I didn't actually _feel_ that they were gone, if you know what I mean."

"I understand." Cielto looked away. "With half of the Heroes gone, only the other half is left to protect Draconia. Destiny says we are to come around near Sen's rebirth, find one another, and put an end to Sen's destruction… It's what we Heroes are meant to do."

"So, you know what has to be done?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Are you coming with us?"

"I would have to meet the others first. Only then could I make a decision." The sound of light footsteps coming down the stairs could be heard. Keia came around the wall and stood over me.

"_There_ you are!" Keia said in a playful tone. "I figured you wouldn't go far…" She looked up at Cielto and tilted her head to one side. Then, she leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Who's this?"

I whispered back, "This is Cielto… Remember Anhalai? Same person. I've found him."

Keia stepped back and looked back at Cielto. "Oh, um, hi… Nice to meet you…"

"And you are?" Cielto asked.

"Keia. I'm a friend of Cryos'," Keia politely replied.

"Hmm."

"So, what's going on?"

"Cielto might be joining us when we go to the castle."

"Ohh…" Vegance entered the room next. Her hair was sticking up in places and she looked very sleepy. She yawned as she approached me and Keia.

"I thought you two abandoned me," Vegance said.

"No… We're meeting a new Hero," Keia replied.

"Hero?" Vegance looked to Cielto. "Oh. Well, I apologize for my messy look this morning… It's been a long adventure."

"No problem. Looks don't matter," Cielto replied.

"Good. I wasn't planning on cleaning up until I feel awake." Vegance yawned again. "So, what's going on?"

"Cielto's joining us," I said.

"Huh? Cielto? We were looking for Anhalai…" Vegance watched Cielto. "If you're not Anhalai, you're a mercenary who's gonna get hurt."

"Anhalai was only a mask… A pseudonym, if you will. He was my cover-up," Cielto said.

"What?"

"In other words, Cielto and Anhalai are the same person," I explained. Vegance looked around from me to Cielto to Keia and back again.

"Well… Surprise. I'm still half asleep… Don't expect me to get any of this… I just want to keep moving."

"Why don't you and Keia both go upstairs and prepare your things to go?" I suggested.

"Sure." Vegance took Keia upstairs and left Cielto and I to talk.

"The only Heroes left are you and two girls?" Cielto asked.

"Yeah… That's how it ended. There _were_ six of us… Ceae was a servant in the castle with no family… I never thought he'd be a Hero, nor did I think he'd die… Rona was a fox spirit created by Necril. He was made of pure darkness magic, and was very skilled in both combat and magic use. To balance out his power, Ryth was created by Rysta and infused with the power of the Heavens… He was Rona's exact match. And then Necril, much to our surprise, was another Hero who tried to save Draconia from the beginning…

"Now, there's only Vegance, Keia, and I… Oh, and you too. Vegance was a Darkling created with shape shifting abilities. She's been very helpful to us… Keia was another servant at our castle, skilled with the bow… And she always seems to be able to keep us on track. Then, me, who brought everyone together and kept us together… It's _my_ parents who got us in this mess, and I still need to deal with them."

"And then me, who's going to lead you all to deal with Sen himself," Cielto said.

"Huh?"

"An Angel visited me and told me what to do… It's my duty."

"Oh." I turned around as Keia and Vegance came downstairs. They were both packed and suited up. Vegance's hair was also neat.

"We're ready when you two are," Vegance said.

"Yeah." I turned back to Cielto. "Just follow my lead. We're going to pretend that the job's been done to get closer to my parents… And then I'll break the news that I know exactly what's going on… What happens from then on, I'm unsure of."

"It's a plan, that's for sure," Cielto said.

"Just follow my lead," I said.

"So, are we ready?" Vegance asked.

"Yes."

"Finally." I rushed upstairs to get my things and came back down. Vegance waved to the innkeeper on the way out of the inn. I led us out of the town and towards the cliff that held the CentraCity…


	31. Home

As we finished the climb up the cliff to the level with the CentraCity, I was filled with a strong feeling of happiness to be home again. Soon afterwards, however, the feeling of anger returned when I remembered _why_ we were here. It did not go down well within me to know that I was sent to kill a Hero…

We approached the gates as though we were not suspecting anything. The same guard who had wished me on my way in the beginning approached me.

"Prince Cryos, m'Lord! You have returned!" the guard said as he approached. He turned to face Keia. "Lady Keia too!" He turned back to face me again. "I trust everything went well?"

"Yeah, mostly," I said. "We lost Ceae along the way."

"Oh… Rysta watch over his young spirit," the guard replied quietly.

"Are Mother and Father expecting my return?" I asked.

"Yes, with great anticipation. Please, on your way, m'Lord." The guard ordered the gates be opened. They slid open enough to allow Vegance, Keia, Cielto, and I to enter the CentraCity.

"Remember… Follow my lead," I whispered to the others. Several townsfolk watched us as we passed by. Many gasped at seeing my face again. I wore a look as though I had information that was of dire importance as I marched through the streets at a hurried pace. Some of the townsfolk actually smiled, waved, or bowed to me. I chose to ignore it all…

When we arrived at the castle, the guards at the gate moved aside and had the gate opened for us. We marched inside and climbed up near the top. Every servant that noticed me bowed and whispered "G'day m'Lord." I tried to ignore everything until we reached the throne room.

I pushed the door to the throne room open and stepped in. The four of us walked the aisle to a spot in front of the thrones. Mother and Father watched me in disbelief as I knelt to the floor. Keia followed after me and knelt beside me. Vegance and Cielto took spots behind me and Keia.

"I have returned, Mother, Father," I said while raising my head up. Keia looked up slightly. "We have done what you asked… Necril is dead."

"Good," a familiar voice was heard from behind Father's throne. To me, it sounded like Ceae. My parents were still silent. Ceae stepped out from behind the throne and smiled. He clapped his hands. "I didn't think you could do it…"

"What the?" I asked in confusion. "I thought you were dead?"

"Dead? Far from it…" Ceae folded his arms and stepped down in front of us. We rose to our feet and backed away a bit. "Necril was wrong… He thought I was dead. I'm as alive as any of you…"

"Then, what happened?" I asked.

"You're blind, aren't you? Haven't you ever wondered _why_ I never had family? Where I came from? How I know what's going on, despite my age?"

"You are a mystery to me…"

"Yes. By removing Necril from this world, you've paved my way to take over… Draconia will belong to me… I am the god of destruction, chaos, injustice… The evil to counterbalance the light. I am _Sen_!" The room went dark, and then Ceae's body was gone. It was now replaced by a man with dark hair, dark eyes, and a beard. He wore a leather bodysuit that was colored black. Numerous scars covered his face. He formed an evil smile.

"Sen?" I asked in disbelief. "You mean, Ceae was just… A cover-up?"

"Yes." Sen's voice was deep and menacing. "The boy you knew as Ceae was me all along. I let you fight your battles… I let you continue on your way, and I played along. I kept pushing forward… The Lightning Key? I had it all along… When the door slammed shut in Necril's Keep, I used the opportunity to escape, faking my suicide to fool even Necril… Your parents, who started you off, were my puppets as well." Sen paced back and forth in front of us. "You've just made it _that_ much easier to destroy this world…"

"As the Heroes of Draconia, we can't allow that," I said.

"What can you do to stop me? You're all just human…"

"Defeat you or not, it is our responsibility to try and save our world… We have to try," Keia said.

"Fine. You may try…" Sen held his hand out and a portal appeared beside him. "In my world, you play by my rules… If you can survive, I'll be waiting…" Sen took one step backwards and disappeared. The room brightened again and we were left with the portal. Mother and Father remained motionless upon their thrones.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Cielto said.

"This is where we've reached the end… That portal leads to Sen," Vegance said.

"The Nether-realm," Cielto said, "is Sen's domain. With no further delay, we must make haste!"

I drew my sword. "The Doomsday has come… Now, we fight for the world… For Draconia!"

"For Draconia!" everyone shouted.

"Alright! Let's do this!" I ran into the portal first, followed by Keia, Cielto, and Vegance…


	32. The NetherRealm

Going through a portal was definitely different than teleporting. When I stepped through the portal, rather than everything fade away and then a rush of wind, I felt a sucking sensation like I was being turned inside out. Actually, I did not step into the portal: I stepped _near_ the portal, and it pulled me in by itself.

The other end of the portal was just as rude an awakening as the beginning. It practically spat me out onto the rocky ground on the other side. I hit the ground hard and stuck to it for a moment. Before I had a chance to move, Keia landed on top of me. I heard my back pop, but nothing serious besides it. She crawled off of me, helped me to my feet, and apologized for it. Vegance and Cielto stepped out soon afterwards.

"How come the portal didn't spit you out too?" I asked.

"Necril had me moving around a lot with portals," Vegance said. "I'm used to it."

"I created my own portals, so I'm used to it too," Cielto said. I shrugged and turned around to get my first view of the Nether-realm. The ground was barren rocks floating in mid-air. A bridge of rock stretched out into the distance. The sky was a dark red and cloudless. On the horizon (just above the end of the rock bridge) was a white light. Several other large rocks floated through the sky, some colliding with each other and others just passing by infinitely. A smaller rock flew past my face. I snatched it out of the air and put it in my pocket, just in case.

I peered over the edge of our foothold. The red sky went on forever beneath us. A few more rock bridges extended further beneath us. I kicked a loose rock from its place beside me. It dropped down and fell, bounced off of one of the bridges, and then fell until I could not see it anymore.

"Nowhere to go but forward, I guess," I said.

"Sen's world is hopeless… It's a void," Cielto said. "Follow the path set up for us. We'll eventually reach an end."

The portal behind us closed up. "Definitely," Vegance said. "No turning back now…"

"Let's go forward then." I walked towards the white light, following the rock bridge as I went…

At several points throughout the walk, the temperature and weather changed randomly. It went from the barren rocks and no wind to snow banks and freezing temperatures. Keia clung to me throughout the snow banks until it suddenly went away. Then, it became overbearingly hot, and the environment resembled a desert. I instantly remembered the Wastelands as the arid wind blew across my face. After that, the air became somewhat cool, but the sand remained. Rain dropped from invisible clouds above us.

"What is with this place?" I asked. "The temperature changes are driving me insane!"

"The Nether-realm is known to be chaotic," Cielto said.

I stopped walking. "How do you know so much about this place?" I asked.

"Yeah… You never explained that," Keia said.

"Because I was trapped here once… Portal malfunction. Sen tried to keep me… But I fought back. He made a deal with me… A challenge. Survive, and I can go free…"

"Did you survive?" Keia asked.

"I wouldn't be standing here if I didn't… I only mostly survived, though. He took a part of me… My happiness. I have to settle this deal. _That's_ why I'm here with you…"

"Hmm…" I shrugged, turned around, and took two steps away. "Then all our wishes will be fulfilled after the deed is done…" I continued to walk. The rain and sand went away and was replaced by a floor of leaves and a slight breeze.

"Does it seem like this world mirrors the places we've been in Draconia?" Keia asked.

"As a part of Draconia, barely, it will look like Draconia," Cielto answered. "We'll be going through random environments until we reach the end." The leaves blew away and were replaced by glowing circles of grass. We walked on towards the white light in the distance…

After awhile, all of the random environments disappeared. The rocky ground and red sky from before were back and the world remained that way. The wind had also stopped. In front of us, a massive rock structure resembling a mountain appeared. Our path led into a hole formed out of the mountain.

I looked around: there was nowhere else to go but forward, for the path behind us was gone. "Okay… Here we go," I mumbled. I led everyone into the cave and through the darkness. The cave led down, down, down for what seemed like forever. The air became cooler as we drove on… We turned a corner and continued. Another corner… Down, down, down…

Finally, we stopped when we turned a corner and saw a green light. We stepped into a large room cut from the inside of the mountain. High above, a ball of pure energy twisted and turned while constantly absorbing more power. This ball glowed green and white, bright enough to illuminate the whole room. Sen stood below it on an invisible floor in the center of the room, where I thought there was a hole. Sen turned around to greet us.

"Isn't it impressive? This mass of pure energy, drawn from the world itself…" Sen walked a little closer. "I'll tell you why the alpha fox died… The magicka from the FoxWoods, its life force… I drew from it. That's how he died without the others' power… And Necril's failed experiment, the Dark Lands… A lack of magicka made the magic's he used impossible… The world could not contain it, so it spread. I've been gathering the magicka from your world for a while now… Slowly draining your home to build enough power to destroy it."

"What are you planning to do with that?" I asked.

"This ball of energy contains much of Draconia's magicka, its life force… By draining it all and then delivering it all back at once, I can kill Draconia and the overload it… Draconia should collapse upon itself and disappear from the world…" Sen let out an evil laugh.

"They don't call him the god of destruction for nothing," Vegance whispered.

"I can't let you destroy Draconia!" I said. "It's my home… I must protect it."

"Oh? How about we go to the pit then? We'll finish this in the void…" Sen raised one hand into the air and disappeared. There was a strange sucking sensation and then we were all drawn to the pit in the center of the room. For awhile, I was falling… And then my feet touched a solid ground.


	33. The End

Keia, Vegance, and Cielto all touched down around me. Here, there was no ground, no world, no air, no sky… Only a solid black, yet I could still see as though we stood under a light. A pair of yellow eyes gleamed in the sky above us. A voice, Sen's voice, echoed around us.

"In _my_ world, you play by _my_ rules!" The eyes stepped out of the darkness in front of us. A large being towered over us. Its head was elongated and flat, like a triangle turned sideways on its side. The eyes attached to the edge of the head. The body was long and slender and led to a pair of muscular legs. The way the legs were, it appeared as though the creature were sitting. Another pair of legs sprouted from the body's underside and bent backwards, giving the creature four legs. Its arms were skinny and ended in giant sickle-blades.

"Okay, remember the statues?" I asked Vegance and Keia. They both nodded. "Fight it the same way."

"What do I do?" Cielto asked.

"Do what you can to stay alive," I said. "Distract it for us, if you can." Cielto nodded.

A third eye opened up on top of the creature's head. It rolled around in place, focused on us, and began to glow. Then, it released its energy in a beam. The four of us dodged in random directions. The beam struck the ground with enough force to cause a small explosion. I ran at the creature. It swung one of its sickle-blades at me. I jumped up on top of the sickle-blade and started up the creature's arm.

'This is normally Rona's job,' I thought. Keia fired arrows up at the creature's eyes. Many missed and others bounced off of the creature's armored head. I was climbing the creature's arm when Keia shouted something at me.

"Cryos, watch out!" I turned around to face her, but then looked around I confusion. I noticed the other arm swinging at me! In a split-second decision, I leapt up, grabbed the edge of the sickle-blade as it passed under me, and hanged on as it sliced through the creature's other arm. The other arm fell to the ground.

Cielto and Vegance climbed on the creature's legs as I flipped up onto its arm and climbed upwards. It swung randomly between its legs at Vegance and Cielto. I struggled to hold on until I reached the shoulder. I leapt from there onto the creature's head. Keia fired an arrow, missed the creature, and just barely missed me.

"Keia!" I shouted. She waved and continued firing arrows. The eye on top of the head rotated to face me, charged the beam and fired. With hardly enough time to move, I held my sword up in front of me. The beam struck my sword and threw it from my hands. I was knocked backwards as well. I slid along the creature's head and grabbed the edge of its head as I slipped off. I pulled myself back up slowly and without delay, rushed towards the eye. I used my gauntlet as a battering ram against the eye and thrust my arm through the outside. I heard a screeching noise as my arm delved deeper through the membrane. I pulled my arm back and repeated three more times. After the fourth time, my arm was covered in a green goo. The eye rolled around frantically, and then it became motionless. The creature flailed around, then dropped to its knees. It let out a final screech before it fell to the ground. I hopped from its head to join Keia. Cielto and Vegance crawled from underneath its legs and joined us as well.

"Job well done!" I said. "Is that the best he has?" The body of the creature flew up into the air.

"Heroes… Congrats," Sen's voice rang out. "But, how about this?" The creature's body began to pulsate and transform. The four legs split up into three legs on either side of the body. The remaining arm shifted to become two arms with pincers, one on either side of the body. The head folded back; one of the remaining eyes slid up onto the body's back while the other eye took a spot on the front of the head. The sickle-blade formed into a tail with a sting on the tip. Now, this creature looked like a giant scorpion.

"Oh, well, we need a distraction," I said quickly. "Someone to distract the front pincers so we can get around to the eye."

"I'll fire arrows at it," Keia said.

"Cielto and I will take care of the pincers," Vegance said.

"Then I'll deal with that eye," I said. I picked my sword up from off the ground and started circling the scorpion. Keia used the same strategy as she did with the first form and fired arrows at its front eye. Cielto and Vegance ran to the front of the scorpion and battled back its pincers. I got around to the side and climbed up on a leg. I pulled myself up onto the scorpion's body and approached the eye. The eye watched me as I moved around it. Suddenly, the tail came down at me.

"Whoa!" I rolled out of the way. The sickle-blade was close to hitting me, but just barely missed. I laid on my back and watched the tail go up and come down again. I rolled out of the way once more. Then, I looked to the eye and had an idea. I leapt up onto my feet and ran to the eye. The tail came down one last time, straight through the center of the scorpion's eye. I jumped backwards as the eye twitched and tried to turn. Out of confusion, the tail could not pull itself back out. The scorpion shook violently. I lost my footing and fell off of the body. The scorpion collapsed and spread out over the ground.

"Well, that was easier than the first," I said. "Is that all you've got, Sen?"

"Not quite." The scorpion flew into the air. The pincers drew back into the body. The six legs stretched out and became longer. The tail-end folded out in front of the body. The body folded over itself and formed into a ball shape. The last eye poked out over the top of the round body. The elongated legs fanned out around the body in the form of tentacles. The massive octopus-thing landed down in front of us and immediately started flailing its tentacles at us. The tentacle tipped with the sickle-blade landed just beside me. My first instinct was to leap on top of it as it was pulled back. I held on as the tentacle was slowly retracted. When I was brought to the octopus's body, I leapt off of the sickle-blade and onto another tentacle. I leapt from tentacle to tentacle until I was on top of the octopus's head with its eye. The eye watched me while I looked around at the tentacles below.

"Why won't you stay dead?" I shouted to the eye. I threw my sword at such an angle that it stuck into the middle of the eye. I pounded the hilt of my sword with my hand to push it deeper into the eye. In a desperate last move, the sickle-blade tentacle came down upon me. I did not have time to move, so I threw my hands up into the air and caught the blade. It was an inch or two from my face. I struggled to hold it back, but I was quickly failing. I pushed away with the last of my strength and dove away. The sickle-blade drove into the eye, slicing it completely in half. I grabbed my sword, jumped onto a nearby tentacle, and slid down to the ground. The octopus melted into the ground behind me. Cielto, Vegance, and Keia all joined me.

"You're acting more and more like Rona lately," Vegance said.

"Maybe he's had an influence on me after all," I replied.

"Oh, no talking… It's not over yet," Sen said. He appeared before us with weapons in hand: a dual-sided sword in one hand and a somewhat large dagger in the other. "Heroes, if we're to really settle this, let's do it in a professional manner… No tricks, only weapons and magic. Sound good to you?"

"No problem," I replied for everyone. "We'll beat you back into your prison and then make it home in time for a party."

"Right." Sen spread himself into a defensive stance. "Let's see what you've got." I looked to the others and then readied my weapon. I charged at Sen and swung my sword. He deflected it and thrust his dagger at me for a counter-attack. I jumped backwards away from it and swung my sword again. He and I fought back each other's swords and locked in place. Cielto ran from the side and tried to hit Sen. Sen pushed me away and countered Cielto's sword with his own. Vegance joined the battle too with her dual daggers. The three of us swung frantically at Sen, but none of our attacks landed. He spun in circles and deflected us all with his dual-blade. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed past my head and _almost_ hit Sen. Instead, he turned around, grabbed it in mid-air, and tossed it away. He only looked at Keia and she fell to the ground and became motionless.

"Keia!" As much as I would have liked to help her, I already had my hands full. I swung around just in time to block one of Sen's attacks. Cielto and Vegance still had not gotten through his defenses. Sen threw both arms into the air. Cielto, Vegance, and I were all blasted backwards at once. He paralyzed Vegance with a glare and then paralyzed Cielto as well.

"I want to see what _you_ can do, Princey," Sen said to me. I got back up on my feet. I readied my sword again. This time, Sen ran at me. He spun in a circle and twisted his dual-blade through the air. I threw my arm up in front of me and knocked away his weapon. With his other hand, he thrust his dagger at me. I grabbed the arm that held the dagger, pulled, and rammed my knee into his stomach. The dagger dropped to the ground. I kicked it away as he reached for it and swung my sword at him. Sen flipped backwards, twirled his dual-blade in the air for a bit, and floated backwards. He landed on the ground and flew at me again. He swung his dual-blade at my legs. I jumped over and then had to duck as the other blade came over my head. I hit him in the stomach again, but this time, my lowered position proved to be a problem. He brought a fist down onto my back and then threw me backwards. I landed hard on the ground. I started to sit up but dropped back down before I could: he had paralyzed me with his stare. Sen walked over to me and stood over me.

"You Heroes grow weaker every time you face me… Or, am I just getting stronger? It might be the lack of Heroes this time… But, it seems you'll just have to die now." Sen held his sword above my head. I would have closed my eyes were I able to. Suddenly, a flash of light sped down through the darkness and knocked Sen backwards. I felt all feeling return to me, and then an invisible hand helped me up. Rysta appeared in front of me.

"Rysta?" I asked in disbelief.

Rysta nodded. "Due to a lack of Heroes, I have to step in for once," she said. With a flick of her wrist, rays of light formed into spikes and pinned Sen to the ground. "Now, bring justice! Take the final step, Cryos, right through his heart." I looked to Sen. I walked over to him and stood over him. I raised my sword up.

"You've lost," I said quietly. I plunged my sword through Sen's chest. He tried to move but could not. I stepped away as he began to glow. Then, Sen disappeared with a flash of light. Vegance, Cielto, and Keia gathered around me. Rysta eyed us with a smile.

"Peace has once again returned to Draconia," Rysta said. "The Heroes have done it again."

"So, now what?" I asked.

"Nothing. Continue your lives… You've earned it."

"That's it? Save the world and then just live life?"

"Isn't that what you wanted? To finish this and settle down with Keia?"

I looked to Keia. She blushed. "Well, I, uh…"

"I can return you to the CentraCity Castle right now…"

I nodded. I looked to Cielto, Vegance, and Keia. They all nodded as well. "When we get home, there will be a rewards ceremony. I know it!"

"Very well…" A flash of light surrounded us, and then the world faded away…

When the light faded and the world came back, we all were standing in the throne room again. My parents still sat upon their thrones with blank expressions upon their faces. Then, they snapped to and looked around. I smiled and waved.

"Mother, Father, welcome back," I said. Their attention focused on me and the others.

"Cryos… Keia?" Father asked. "What's going on? Who are these other two? I've never seen them before…"

"What tricks are you trying to play now?" Mother asked. "Bringing townsfolk into our castle…"

"Please pardon my rudeness," Vegance said. "We've never introduced ourselves… My name is Vegance, m'Lord, and I am a friend of Cryos."

"M'Lord, m'Lady, my name is Cielto," Cielto said and bowed to the floor. "I oversaw the reconstruction of the Travelers' Waypoint out in the Plains…"

"So, why are you here?" Mother asked.

"There's a lot to explain," I started. "Unbeknownst to us, you two were under control by Sen… In that state, you sent Keia and I, and Sen in human form, to kill Necril… I have no idea how long you were like this, but I'm guessing all of my life. Anyway, we met others along the way… Cielto and Vegance are two of them, but the other two died… We did what we were asked to do, and then we returned home to find out everything, and then, as the legendary Heroes of Draconia, we stopped Sen and saved Draconia…" Mother and Father gawked at me in confusion.

"What he says is true… We were all there," Vegance said.

"Then, I suppose we should throw an honorary ceremony for you Heroes," Mother said. "I suppose Rysta will tell us in our hearts just everything we need to know."

"Wait, why throw a ceremony if Cryos is only making up stories?" Father asked.

"How could you doubt our son? After all, a ceremony would be lots of fun, don't you think?"

"Yes… I suppose…"

"And at the same time, we can do a birthday celebration for me as well," I mentioned.

"We'll see," Mother said. I smiled and clapped. Cielto patted me on the back, and Keia hugged me.

"We will hold the ceremony in exactly one week then," Father said. "Your mother and I will plan it."

"Alright… We'll hang out until then… Are we dismissed?"

"Yes, Cryos, enjoy your day… The rest of you too," Mother said. We turned around and left the throne room.

Exactly one week later, our ceremony was held. It took place at the town center on a stage that was set up for the occasion. Several people surrounded the stage, and even Rysta made a showing. Since Mother and Father were unable to explain anything, Rysta took that role. She stood up on the speaker's stand behind where Vegance, Cielto, Keia, and I were lined up and informed the public about all that had happened.

"Now, I would like you to extend a welcome to the Heroes of Draconia… Vegance, former-killer-turned-pure!" The crowd cheered for her. "Cielto, supervisor of the reconstruction of the Travelers' Waypoint…" Again, the crowd cheered. "Keia Luminachi, former worker at the castle…" A lot of guys whistled, but I glared out at the crowd. "And, your price, Cryos!" _Everyone_ cheered for me. I smiled and waved. "Now, as your Heroes, these four must maintain peace in the land in _all_ forms… That means, whenever evil strikes, they will be there. Now for a word or two from our Heroes."

Rysta moved from the back of the speaker's stand. Vegance replaced her. "Uh, hi… My name's Vegance, and like m'Lady Rysta has said, I am a Hero… Er, Heroin, whatever. I never imagined I'd be honored this way, not after an artificial creation and a role in fighting for the darkness… But, in recent events, I have discovered that what I was _really_ fighting for was peace all along. Placed in the current position I am in, I am honored to serve as a protector of the land, and I thank you all for the support. Cryos, Keia, you two served as an example for me, and taught me how to love…" A tear rolled down Vegance's cheek. "If only Rona were here…" Vegance stepped from the speaker's stand and took her place beside Cielto. Then, Cielto went up to speak.

"Hi. I'm Cielto… I've been an ordinary citizen for awhile, though once, I sided with Necril… I trusted him and knew he was doing the right thing from the start. I secretly wrote up plans for him, however, one day, the Travelers' Waypoint out on the Plains was attacked and destroyed. I survived, though, and I helped rebuild the town. I lived there the entire time, too. When Cryos passed through not so long ago, he had the courage to bring me with him, and though _my_ part was small, I gave it a valiant effort… I was not with the others for long, but they did the real job. For that, I congratulate them." Cielto stepped down, and then Keia went up.

"Hi! I suppose maybe a few of you have seen me or heard of me… I am the daughter of the headmaid at the castle, and before now, I've never really been addressed to the public by name… My name is Keia, and I was on this journey with Cryos since day one. We've been through a lot, and he's treated me well… So I'd like to announce that Cryos and I are getting married." A unison gasp from the crowd brought to me the reality of what Keia had just said. My eyes widened and I turned to face her up on the speaker's stand. "Thank you." Keia stepped down and motioned for me to go up and speak. I went around to the stand and gathered myself to speak to the crowd.

"Well, uh, that's a pleasing comment, Keia," I stuttered and blushed. "I'd love that, to be honest." There was cheering and clapping from the crowd. I raised my hand to silence them. "Okay, so, our journey was long… Arduous… And interesting. We've seen some amazing sights, and some not-so-great ones… Sen was actually the one who led us on this from the start, but it's been a great learning experience. All the way through, I never abandoned hope, because I had amazing people like Keia and Vegance around… But the true Heroes, who helped us through the _worst_ situations, cannot be here today… They were two artificial fox spirits, one named Rona, the very same from our history… And the other Ryth, created by Rysta herself and who brightened our day much of the time. Despite being artificial, I've never seen two more natural beings in my life… I hated to see them go, but I would like to thank them for the help."

"No, we'd actually like to thank you," a familiar voice said behind me. I turned around to see who it was, but found out when I was pushed out of the way.

"Ryth? Rona? Wait… Ryth! Rona!" I almost wanted to hug Rona, but his glare changed my mind. Ryth stood nearby and waved. Vegance and Keia reacted quickly too, as Keia ran to hug Ryth and Vegance practically tackled Rona.

"How can this be?" Vegance asked.

"Lemme explain." Rona stood up on the speaker's stand. "Citizens of Draconia, Ryth and I are here… We were with Cryos much of the journey, though out of lack of understanding, we killed Necril… Wasn't until _after_ the fact that we discovered what was going on… Anyways, we were never _really_ dead… Even if we were, legends never die."

"Then, what happened?" I asked.

"Fox spirits, unknown to many people, possess a sacrificial ability," Ryth said. "We can trigger it, sacrificing ourselves for the safety of others… Rona and I, with our combined power, triggered this sacrifice, and it was strong enough to take Necril with us… However, it's not a permanent death. _That's_ how we're here…"

"Didn't see that coming," Keia said.

"Yes, well, there's other things we need to take care of," Father said. Rona moved out of the way to let Father speak. "Cryos, your mother and I apologize for not granting you your birthday wishes… So, what is it that you really want?"

I thought for a moment. All eyes were focused on me. "I…" I hesitated. "I don't really want anything. Believe it or not, this journey was great… I am already satisfied."

"Seriously?"

"All I ask is freedom… To come and go as I want, to do as I see fit… I want Ryth to help me with some 'projects,' and proper rooming at the castle for the other Heroes… I couldn't ask for more."

Father looked to Mother, and Mother looked to everyone else. "Well, your wish shall come true," Mother said. "Rooming at the castle for the Heroes, and you _all_ are free to come and go as you please."

"Cryos, you realize that if you're always out and about, you can't be king, right?" Father asked.

"If there's one thing I learned," I said, "it's that the peoples' safety comes before all else. If that means being out and about all the time, I would give up being king of Draconia to accomplish that goal."

Rysta stepped up beside Father. "It's the life of a Hero he wishes to pursue."

Father was silent for a moment. "Then if that's the case, I pronounce you all, Ryth, Rona, Keia, Vegance, Cielto, and Cryos, the honorary Heroes of Draconia!" The crowd cheered, whistled, and clapped. Rysta disappeared, and we were all left upon the stage in the midst of the cheering crowd. Keia walked up beside me, put her arm around me, and smiled.

"So, no what?" she asked.

"Oh, a lot of things," I said. "Our journey's just begun…"


	34. Epilogue

After the ceremony, Ryth, Rona, Vegance, Cielto, Cryos, and I were all escorted back to the castle. A few days later, many rooms were cleared and refurnished for us Heroes to our liking. Cryos eventually showed me his laboratory, and much to my surprise, granted me and the others full access, so long as we keep it clean and close up after ourselves.

The weeks that followed led us into our lives… Cryos and I planned our wedding, so I pretty much became a "princess-in-waiting," as Cryos put it. Ryth met with Cryos, and they hired a team of working scientists for the laboratory… I overheard them talking about creating technological innovations to revolutionize the transportation capabilities of Draconia… That is quite a mouthful. Ha, well, what can I expect from my genius fiancée?

Anyways, Rona has become a knight for the castle, the first ever in Draconian history… He claimed the training chambers as his territory, and now trains the Draconian Protection Force in the ways of combat, magic, _and_ helps them to learn Cryos's new technology. Vegance helps Rona at times, though she prefers to watch. Vegance plans to marry Rona someday, but not yet… She still does not think he is ready.

Cielto took over the position as royal advisor, to honor his lost friend Necril. His job is to simply grant advice to m'Lord and m'Lady the King and Queen on all manners of public defense and policies. He uses a lot of technical terms that I do not understand, but I trust that he knows what he is talking about.

I, on my own free will, continue to keep the castle corridors clean, although Cryos prefers that I lay back and relax… Mother resigned as the headmaid of the castle to let me take over, though she still cleans… I am also allowed to hire on new workers, and I make sure that they keep the work going.

Sometimes, since I can come and go as I please, I will journey from the castle to the gates of the CentraCity. I head out into the night to the cliff our home was built on and I stare at the stars… Every time, I replay my travels with Cryos, Vegance, Ryth, Rona, and Cielto, and I listen to all of the conversations we have had. Then, I will head back to the castle and check on everyone while they sleep, and check on the castle treasury to be sure no one is stealing from there.

Since our journey has been complete, the world has been peaceful and all has been well in the CentraCity. Actually, everything everywhere has run smoothly. The Travelers' Waypoint is continuing reconstruction… The majority of the fox spirits have returned home to the FoxWoods and continued their lives… I even heard that the Town of Lawlessness in what used to be the Dark Lands is even turning around! I suppose the name will be changed soon enough…

Though everything is calm, I know better than to think everything will always be perfect. Balance is meant to be kept here in Draconia, so I suspect that some force of evil will eventually show its face… That remains to be seen, but when the time comes, we will spring into action. _We_ are the Heroes of Draconia, and it is our job to protect our land… We have before, and we will continue to do so forevermore…


End file.
